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phil ochs - paul crump [demo-version] lyrics

[intro]
here’s a song in a minor up five
it’s called “paul crump”, it tells the story of, um
of a man who k!lled another man in chicago in 1953
and while he was sitting in jail
he begun appealing his sentence, and, um, winning
and, um, began educating himself
wrote a novel called burn, k!ller, burn
and, uh, just last year his sentence
uh, was commuted by the governor of illinois
now he’s still sitting, he’s still in jail there now, and, um
his case will be used in a lot of arguments about rehabilitation versus capital punishment
[verse 1]
in the statе of illinois ’bout nine years ago
a cold blooded k!llеr, he went against the law
he k!lled a factory guard when his robbery did fail
and they caught him and they threw him into jail

[verse 2]
he lay there in his cell locked up with his hate
not many men knew of him and less cared for his fate
and he knew no peace of mind when his trial did come by
the judge said, “you are guilty, you must die”

[chorus]
but paul crump is alive today
he’s a+sittin’ in a cell, he’s got somethin’ to say
every human’s got something to give
and if a man can change, then a man should live

[verse 3]
they sent him to cook county jail, a jail known far and wide
where pity was a stranger and brave men often cry
he led a prison riot in the year of ’55
and he didn’t even care if he survived

[verse 4]
but the jail had in a warden, jack johnson was his name
to cure instead of punish, it was his chosen aim
the riot soon was ended, the convicts feared in vain
the warden gave them hope instead of pain
[chorus]
but paul crump is alive today
he’s a+sittin’ in a cell, he’s got somethin’ to say
every human’s got something to give
and if a man can change, then a man should live

[verse 5]
between the warden and the convict, a friendship slowly grew
one learned from the other that a man can live anew
then the warden told the convict, “you must leave the devil’s plan
the time has come for you to be a man”

[verse 6]
then the convict found religion and he started him to learn
he wrote himself a novel called burn, k!ller, burn
and as his dying day grew near, to the warden he did cry
“you must pull the switch and i must die”

[chorus]
but paul crump is alive today
he’s a+sittin’ in a cell, he’s got somethin’ to say
every human’s got something to give
and if a man can change, then a man should live

[verse 7]
it was up to governor kerner to keep him from the grave
was rehabilitation a reason to be saved?
the people were protesting, the word was spread around
a new and better answer must be found
[verse 8]
well, the electric chair was cheated, the convict didn’t pay
a new concept of justice was born and raised that day
now throughout this peaceful land, there are others set to die
what better time than now to question why?

[chorus]
’cause paul crump is alive today
he’s a+sittin’ in a cell, he’s got somethin’ to say
every human’s got something to give
and if a man can change, then a man should live

- phil ochs lyrics

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