Oh! Well, judge looked down, gave me forty days Instead of the fine that I could not pay Said “Walk right, you’ll soon be home Cross the line, you’ll be on your own” Forty days of shotguns and barbed wire fences Forty nights to sit and listen To the midnight train to Memphis Well now, whistle blows when the sun comes up Head to floor, keep your big mouth shut Eat your breakfast on the ground Work like hell till the sun goes down Forty days of shotguns and barbed wire fences Forty nights to sit and listen To the midnight train to Memphis Well now, then for the jury, ten for the judge Twenty more to forget my grudge When I get to thirty-nine That’s the longest day in a prisoner’s mind Forty days of shotguns and barbed wire fences Forty nights to sit and listen To the midnight train to Memphis Midnight train to Memphis Midnight train to Memphis Oh, Midnight train to Memphis