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State Penitentiary Gift Shop

from Poetry and Protest by Tom Alter

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lyrics

Here's a miniature model of a jail cell bed
And a tee shirt saying I visited
And all I got was this lousy tee shirt and ten years

There's a wooden carving of the old guard shack
A license plate ash tray hot off the press
And a prison number on a key chain with my name

And the sign on the wall is beckoning me
To the gift shop of the state penitentiary

There's a little museum out in the back
With pictures of residents from the past
But I'm not that eager 'cause I might see one of me

A sweatshirt has a message telling me
I've been living in a gated community
I'll attest that it was never quite that fine doing time

And the sign on the wall is beckoning me
To the gift shop of the state penitentiary

And there's a shot glass with words that read
"I shot the sheriff not the deputy"
But that's the charge they had to pin on me
And here's a special opportunity
Spend two minutes in solitary
But I don't have the buck and I already know how that feels

Their profits are high and their prices are best
Due to no labor costs and low overhead
Every item you see has been made by inmates

But there's no cash in these cheap suit pockets
And they ain't trading anything for cigarettes
And I'm not eating in your cafe, no way

And the sign on the wall is beckoning me
To the gift shop of the state penitentiary
Yes the sign on the wall is beckoning me
To the gift shop of the state penitentiary
And I don't think I'm gonna buy anything
From the gift shop of the state penitentiary
No no

credits

from Poetry and Protest, released December 28, 2021
Words and music by Tom Alter
Vocal and instruments by Tom Alter

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all rights reserved

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Tom Alter Detroit, Michigan

Tom Alter is a singer-songwriter based in Detroit. The influences of jazz, folk, pop, and Latin genres are found in his original compositions. Tom's lyrics mix world events with the affect on his personal ideals. He has released 3 EPs and 2 albums since 2019. His work can be found on digital and streaming music platforms. He is also a member of the duo After Blue.
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