He's twenty one and jealous
Of his shadow outside the fence
Got a bible from his cellmate
He's searching for a second chance
Hopes that he can make it outside
Before his little girl learns to talk
Hopes he can get it all figured out
Before the judge says that he can walk
Chorus
Cause it's hot-wired, too tired for being who he's been
Car theft, what's left? He ain't ever going back again
He ain't ever going back to tie himself to the whipping pole
His American dream like the county line sign that he shot full of holes
And two to four don't seem like much
Until you're stuck in an eight by ten
He felt guilty damn near all his life
Much more now than then
He wrote a letter to Jesus last night
And he nailed it up to the cross
Yeah he's free in his heart but at night in the dark
You know the man, he's still the boss
Chorus
And it's hot-wired, too tired for being who he's been
Car theft, what's left? He ain't ever going back again
He ain't ever going back to tie himself to the whipping pole
His American dream like the county line sign that he shot full of holes
He walked through the gate last Thursday
And headed on into town
What did he see but a Cadillac there
With all it's windows down
And it's broke down, hands bound
And it's back to who he was
No change. It seems strange
It ain't ever been push to shove
And now he's going back, to tie himself to the whipping pole
His American dream like the county line sign
That he shot full of holes
To his American dream like the county line sign
That he shot full of holes
