Oh, the age of the inmates
I remember quite freely
No younger than twelve,
no older than seventeen
Thrown in like bandits,
cast off like criminals
Inside the grounds,
round the walls, a red wing
From the dirty old mess hall,
you march to a brick wall.
Too weary to talk and too tired to sing.
Oh, it's all afternoon,
you remember
Inside the grounds
round the walls of Red Queen
Oh the gates are cast iron
and the walls are barbed wire
Stay far from the fence
with electricity stained
And it's keep down your head
and stay in your number
On the inside grounds,
round the walls of Red Wing
Oh, it's fare thee well to the
deep hollow dungeon
Farewell to the boardwalk
that takes you to the screen
And farewell to the minutes
that threaten you with it
Inside the grounds,
round the walls of Red Wing
It's Minnie a guard
that stands around smilin'
Holdin' his club like he was a king
Hopin' to get you behind
the woodpiling
Inside the grounds
round the wall's red wing
The night aimed shadows
through the crossbar windows
And the wind punched hard
to make the wall siding sing
It's many a night I preten
ded to be sleepin'
On the inside grounds,
round the Walsh Redway
As the rain rattled heavy
on the bunkhouse shingles
And the sounds in the night
that make my ears ring
Tell the keys of the guards,
click the tune of the mornin'
On the inside grounds,
round the walls of Red Wing
All some of us will end up
in St. Cloud Prison
And some of us will wind up
to be lawyers and things
And some of us will stand
to meet you on your crossroads
From inside the grounds
around the walls of Red Wing
From inside the grounds
around the walls of Red Wing