These chains of sorrow they are heavy it is true. And these locks cannot be broken. no not with one thousand keys. O Jailer you drag a ball-n-chain you cannot see. You can lay your burden on me. You can lay your burden down on me. You can lay your burden down upon me. But you cannot lay down your memory. . Woooo wooo wooo. Woooo wooo wooo. Here I go!. Knockin on Joe!. This square foot of sky will be mine til I die. Knocking on Joe. Woooo wooo wooo. All down the row. Knockin on Joe. . O Warden I surrender to you. Your fists can't hurt me anymore. You know these hands will never mop. your dirty Death Row floors. O Preacher come closer you don't scare me anymore. Just tell Nancy not to come here. Just tell her not to come here anymore. Tell Nancy not to come. And let me die in the memory of those arms. . O woo woo woo. Woo woo woo. All down the row. Knockin on Joe. O you kings of halls and ends of halls. You will die within these walls. And I'll go down the row. Knockin on Joe. . O Nancy's body is a coffin. she wears my tombstone at her head. O Nancy's body is a coffin. she wears my tombstone at her head. She wears her body like a coffin. She wears a dress of gold and red. She wears a dress of gold and red. She wears a dress of red and gold. Grave-looters at my coffin. before my body's even cold. . It's a door for when I go. Knockin on Joe. These hands will never mop. your dirty Death Row floors. No! You can hide! You can run!. O but your trial is yet to come. O you can run! You can hide!. But you have yet to be tried!. You can lay your burdens down here. You can lay your burden down. Knockin on Joe. You can lay your burden upon me. You can lay your burden upon me. Knockin on Joe. You can lay it down here. You can bring your burden down. Knockin on Joe. You can't hurt me anymore. You can't hurt me anymore. Knockin on Joe. .