the warden let the prisoner down the hallway to his doom and i stood up to say goodbye like all the rest and i heard him tell the warden just before he reached my cell let my guitar playing friend do my request let him sing me back home with the song i used to hear make my old memories come alive then take me away and turn back the years sing me back home before i die i recall last sunday morning when a choir from off the street came in to sing a few old gospel songs and i heard him tell the singers there s a song my mama sang could i hear it once before you move along won t you sing me back home won t you sing me back home before i die