He stood on the stage in Joliet prison

One of the in-mates doing twenty to life

He waited for silence and I strained to listen

As he sang a love song about his young wife.

A thousand men listened, two thousand eyes glistened

Even the warders lowered their gaze

And there was a silence in Joliet prison

As each man remembered his happier days.

He painted a picture of love ever after

He sang with a rapture for the love he had found

A thousand men dreaming of hearing her laughter

But each dream was shattered as the chorus came round.

Chorus:

If I can't hold her ain't no-one going to hold her

I already told her I'm a one woman man

And if I can't love her then no-one's going to love her

She'll have no other while I've a gun in my hand.

Later that night as I lay on my bunk bed

Fighting for sleep that I knew wouldn't come

My tired mind remembered every last word that he said

When I got to the chorus I started to hum.

Chorus:

If I can't hold her ain't no-one going to hold her

I already told her I'm a one woman man

And if I can't love her ain't no-one gonna love her

She'll have no other while I've a gun in my hand.