Lying in bed, waiting for the drip to feed
Over my head, a movie on the TV
Cops, killers ruling with the gun
Then a nurse comes in, time for the medication

Blame it on shock, blame it on the morphine
But my finger prints put me on the crime scene
Cruel twist of fate, it's like I'm in a really bad dream
I'm a victim of mistaken identity

And the ordinary people
All the passers-by
Shake their heads and sigh
"But for the grace of God go I"

They are just on the wrong side of the law
Livin' on the wrong side of the law
Victims each and every one
Now the bad guy's out there on the run
Heading for the setting sun

There's a jailhouse in Louisiana state
And in times like this I really do appreciate
The desperate cries of all of the inmates
'Cause once you're inside, they're gonna make ya' sit and wait
As time goes by, hear the criminals sing a sad, sad song
We were just on the wrong side of the law
Livin' on the wrong side of the law
Victims each and every one
Now the outlaw's living on the run
Heading for the setting sun

And the ordinary people
All the passers-by
Are helpless on the wrong side of the law
Staring at the wrong side of the law

Every time we see the system fail
And the bad guys end up getting bail
While the good guys go to jail

Yeah, I might as well rot in Angola
For all the good the DA's done for me
I was the one who ended up taking the bullet
I'm lying here, but he's still runnin' free
On the wrong side of the law