Story Behind The Song

It's subject matter is pure fiction, but the circumstance of a man knowing what his intentions were before he made a mistake that was perceived as an intentional act by others is somewhat universal.

Song Description

This song is about a letter written by a man executed by lethal injection. The letter was to the son of his sister. The son's father was accidentally killed by the author of the letter. The author of the letter was bluffing the man he shot with a pistol

Lyrics

I guess he thought it wasn't loaded
Or might of thougt I wouldn't shoot
Cause he never said a word
As I took the pistol from my boot
I swear I thought the breech was empty
I's just foolin' around
Next thing I remember
All hell came crashin' down

I shouldn'ta run but I got scared
Folks like to read bewteen the lines
My sister carryin' his baby
Me hot-tempered all the time
I hadn't made it to Coahoma
For I knew I'd made it worse
So I just kept on drivin'
Til they caugt me in Ft. Worth

The lights my God they blined me
Til I was face down on the street
All I felt were sticks and fists
Til the cuffs clicked on my wrists
I cried I thought the breech was empty
All the way to the jail
Til it was just me and Jesus
In a Tarrant County cell

Last time I saw your momma
She was on the witness stand
With her head hangin' down
And her face in her hands
She said the last time she saw me
I left the house in a rage
Shortly thereafter they locked me here in this cage

This letter's all that's left of me
If you're readin' it I'm gone
Needle's comin' like a train
To carry me on
I swear I thought the breech was empty
I didn't mean to take your dad
Just me and Jesus know the truth
The truth is all that I have
Just me and Jesus know the truth
The truth is all that I have