Well the judge he found me guilty of wrong doing
And he sentenced me to hang in mid-July
He looked down at me and said your life's a ruin
If I were you I'd break right down and cry
Nobody seems to care that I ain't guilty
Lord, I never did the things they said I've done
But I guess they're gonna to have to hang somebody
And it's lookin' like I'm goin' to be the one

So send my body home on a freight train
Don't worry none that I don't go first class
Send my body home on a freight train
So everyone can see me when I pass
Don't worry none about no fancy funeral
Cause it don't matter how they lay me down
Just see they bury me out by mama's apple tree
And send my body back to my hometown

Well, my mama was a damn hard workin' woman
She tried to raise us kids without a pa
Last thing that she said, she was on her dying bed
Was "son, don't get in trouble with the law"
Whenever my time comes to meet my maker
Well, I'm going to try to do my very best
I'm going to try to stand and take it like a man
When they ask if I have one request

I'll just say send my body home on a freight train
Don't worry none that I don't go first class
Send my body home on a freight train
So everyone can see me when I pass
Don't worry none about no fancy funeral
Cause it don't matter how they lay me down
Just see they bury me out by mama's apple tree
And send my body back to my hometown

Yeah, just see they bury me out by mama's apple tree
And send my body back to my hometown