The Prisoner Lyrics

Billy drove into the city every day at six am

Spent his whole life working on

The dreams of other men

Never took the chances that he always wanted to

Lived his life through heroes

And his heroes never knew

He said, don't put me in a suit and tie

When my time comes for me

Don't put me in a box

With all the dreams I never dreamed

Put me in a t-shirt and my faded dungarees

Turn me into fire into something

Unpredictable and free

Billy understood why he was angry all the time

Everybody loved him

'Cause he never spoke his mind

Got down on his knees said to his God deliver me

Take away this other man that I pretend to be

He said, don't put any words

Inside of my mouth when I'm dead

Don't put me in a box

With everything I left unsaid

Don't say anything

You don't know what was in my head

Turn me into fire, let the fire speak for me instead

Billy met a man transcended

All his hatred for himself

Billy asked him how he did this

Billy asked him how it felt

Before he got his answer

Something woke him from his sleep

Man was just an apparition it was just a dream

He said, don't play no haunted dirges

In the church when I am gone

Don't put me in a box

With all of my unwritten songs

Let me lay a while with my favorite records on

Turn me into fire

Something faithful to itself to gaze upon

Half moon casts a brilliant light

Upon the autumn leaves

Searching through his failings

Looking for his destiny

Billy took the filter hose and went into the garage

Pulled it through the window

Started up the car

Sat there with the taste of life and death

Inside his mouth

Turned the engine off and went back in the house

He said, don't put me in a column

In the paper when I'm gone

Don't put me in a box

Where I can never see the sun

Bring me down the river, let me hear the river run

Lay my ashes on the water

Let it turn me and the river into one

Don't put me in a suit and tie

When my time comes for me

Don't put me in a box

With all the dreams I never dreamed

Put me in a t-shirt and my faded dungarees

Turn me into fire into something

Unpredictable and free

Billy drove into the city every day at six am