[Verse 1]
Oh, the age of the inmates
I remember quite freely
No younger than twelve
No older ’n seventeen
Thrown in like bandits
And cast off like criminals
All inside the walls
On the grounds of Red Wing

[Verse 2]
From the dirty old mess hall
You march to the brick wall
Too weary to talk
And too tired to sing
And it’s all afternoon
You remember your hometown
All inside the walls
The walls of Red Wing

[Verse 3]
Oh, the gates are cast iron
And the walls are barbed wire
Stay far from the fence
With the ’lectricity sting
And it’s keep down your head
And stay in your number
All inside the grounds of
The walls of Red Wing
[Verse 4]
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
They threaten you with it
All inside the grounds of
The walls of Red Wing

[Verse 5]
It’s many a guard
That stands around smiling
Holding his club
Like he was a king
Hoping to get you
Behind the wood piling
All inside the grounds of
The walls of Red Wing

[Verse 6]
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 pretended to be a-sleeping
All inside the grounds of
The walls of Red Wing
[Verse 7]
As the rain rattled heavy
On the bunkhouse shingles
And the sounds of the night
They made my ears ring
Till the keys of the guards
Clicked the tune of the morning
All inside the grounds of
The walls of Red Wing

[Verse 8]
Oh, some of us’ll end up
In St. Cloud Prison
And some of us’ll end up
To be lawyers and things
And some of us’ll stand
To meet you on your crossroads
From inside the grounds of
The walls of Red Wing