Down de road, mama, down de road Tie up you dress an' run down de road Your children too hardened, they doesn't feel In that prison channel they bound to yiel' Down de road, mama, down de road Down de road, mama, down de road You children too hardened, they doesn't feel In the prison channel they bound to yiel' When she got the news, her mother went wild With excitement trying to protect her child They too harden' gal they doesn't feel In that prison channel they bound to yiel' Down de road, mama, down de road Down de road, mama, down de road You children too hardened, they doesn't feel In the prison channel they bound to yiel' Tomkin that made the attack And Sims with the cullass behin' his bock Brown Boy pas connait danger Matura descend Morunday Down de road, mama, down de road Down de road, mama, down de road You children too hardened, they doesn't feel In the prison channel they bound to yiel' Tommy, you should bite your fingernail You are well six months from the Royal Gaol You ain't even wait to see Carnival Now they charge you habitual criminal Down de road, mama, down de road Down de road, mama, down de road You children too hardened, they doesn't feel In the prison channel they bound to yiel' I heard a voice calling from afar: "Crabda, you don't listen to your mother Don't cry, too late to realize In that Royal Gaol you done penalize" Down de road, mama, down de road Down de road, mama, down de road You children too hardened, they doesn't feel In the prison channel they bound to yiel' Nowhere in a British territory You cannot commit violence so easily Ask anybody, the charge for grand larceny The first penalty's ten years in custody Down de road, mama, down de road Down de road, mama, down de road You children too hardened, they doesn't feel In the prison channel they bound to yiel' Aun' Ella look her troubles to heart And quite suddenly from us she depart Her actions were true, she was as good as fooled But her children who run her out of the world Down de road, mama, down de road Down de road, mama, down de road You children too hardened, they doesn't feel In the prison channel they bound to yiel'