[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

[Harmonica Solo]

[Verse 8]
Oh, some of us will 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