The hand of fate is on me now
It pick me up and knock me down
I'm on the run, I'm prison bound
The hand of fate is heavy now

I killed a man, I'm highway bound
The wheel of fortune keeps turning round
Turning round, turning round
I should have known it was a one horse town

'Cause my sweet girl was once his wife
And he had papers the judge had signed
The wind blew hard, it was stormy night
He shot me once, but I shot him twice

The hand of fate is on me now
It pick me up and it kicked me right down
Kicked me right down
Kicked me right down

I had to save her life
Yeah, I gunned him twice
Yeah, and I watched him die, watch out boy
Yeah, I watched him die

He was a barroom man, the violent kind
He had no love for that gal of mine
Then one day in a drinking bout
He swore he'd throw me right out of town

The hand of fate is on me now
I shot that man I put him underground
I put him underground underground
Yes I did

I'm on the run, I hear the hounds
My luck is up, my chips are down
So goodbye baby, so long now
Wish me luck, I'm going to need it child

The hand of fate is on me now
Yeah it's too late baby
Too late baby, too late now
The hand of fate is on me now
The hand of fate is heavy now

The hand of fate is heavy now
The hand of fate is heavy now

[Ad-libs]

The hand of fate is heavy now
It pick you up and it knock you down