Cocaine Blues
Johnny Cash · Bootleg Volume 3: Live Around The World [2011]
I took a shot of cocaine and I shot my woman down
I went right home and I went to bed
I stuck that lovin' .44 beneath my head
Got up next mornin' and I grabbed that gun
Took a shot of cocaine and away I run
Made a good run but I ran too slow
They overtook me down in Juarez, Mexico
Late in the hot joints takin' the pills
In walked the sheriff from Jericho Hill
He said Willy Lee your name is not Jack Brown
You're the dirty hack that shot your woman down
Said yes, oh yes my name is Willy Lee
If you've got the warrant just a-read it to me
Shot her down because she made me sore
I thought I was her daddy but she had five more
When I was arrested I was dressed in black
They put me on a train and they took me back
Had no friend for to go my bail
They slapped my dried up carcass in that county jail
Early next mornin' bout a half past nine
I spied the sheriff coming down the line
Ah, and he coughed as he cleared his throat
He said come on you dirty hack into that district court
Into the courtroom my trial began
Where I was handled by twelve honest men
Just before the jury started out
I saw the little judge commence to look about
In about five minutes in walked the man
Holding the verdict in his right hand
The verdict read murder in the first degree
I hollered Lawdy Lawdy, have a mercy on me
The judge he smiled as he picked up his pen
99 years in the Folsom pen
99 years underneath that ground
I can't forget the day I shot that bad bitch down
Come on you've gotta listen unto me
Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be
About Cocaine Blues
Johnny Cash's "Cocaine Blues" stands as a stark testament to the outlaw's exploration of vice and redemption, delivered with his signature gravelly voice and acoustic intensity. Recorded for the 2011 compilation *Bootleg Volume 3: Live Around The World*, this track captures Cash's ability to weave personal narrative into folk-rock storytelling, reflecting on the dangers of addiction while maintaining his characteristic moral clarity. The song exemplifies his late-career focus on social commentary, blending traditional country structures with a raw, unvarnished delivery that underscores the human cost of substance abuse. As part of his extensive discography, the recording reinforces his legacy as a chronicler of American struggle, offering listeners an intimate glimpse into the complexities of temptation and the search for spiritual grounding amidst chaos.