Characters - Lyrics - Calvin Russell

Sometime ago two people I know They were sittin' in a prison cell Just talkin' of life of its joys of its strifes Of the the good times that life held The kid he told of the jewels and gold To be had while he played the game I'm worried not about the sentence I've got You see my future it's strictly fame Well I used to lay tricks to baffle the dicks I would leave them a clue to find Then I'd beat my retreat on back to easy street All my thoughts of this jail behind Only the characters know what I'm sayin' Only the characters know what I mean Only the characters have any idea Only the characters have seen what I've seen Well the old man listened till his dim eyes glistened He said when the kid got through Son you're young and you've only begun But old men have a story too It was late one day on a get-away I had to shoot a young man down It was a jewelry store and I was at the door When the police came around Well I made a draw and so did the law Both our rods spit lead When the smoke had cleared and the scene reappeared One poor young dude lay dead … Well I was thrown in jail held without bail Chalked up with first degree I wasn't so game when my trial day came Electric chair in front of me So I tried to grin but it was useless then My nerves were like the edge of a knife And I held my breath for that verdict of death But they sentenced me here for my life Only the characters know what I'm sayin' Only the characters know what I mean Only the characters have any idea Only the characters have seen what I've seen So here I sit son I got my life near done All my hopes and joys have fled And it won't be long before I join the throng That's numbered with the dead Yeah that's numbered with the dead Yeah that's numbered with the dead Yeah yeah