Correctional Officer's Blues

Lyrics

[Verse 1] Coffee gone cold in a paper cup Another long round and the keys come up Dim-lit hallways, doors slam shut I count my steps through the quiet stuff [Chorus] One more count, one more turn One more hour while the old lights burn Every locked door takes its toll This is the correctional officer’s blues [Verse 2] Boot heels mark the concrete floor Names on a clipboard, eyes on the door A radio coughs, then settles down I keep my face still, keep making rounds [Chorus] One more count, one more turn One more hour while the old lights burn Every locked door takes its toll This is the correctional officer’s blues [Bridge] A thin dawn waits beyond the wire My shoulders carry the midnight choir I’ll trade these keys for a kitchen chair And let the morning find me there [Final Chorus] One more count, one more turn One more hour till the shift lets go Every locked door takes its toll This is the correctional officer’s blues [Outro] Coffee gone cold, the hallway still I hand off the keys and breathe at last