"The Prisoner's Song" is a song copyrighted by Vernon Dalhart in 1924 in the name of Dalhart's cousin , who had sung it while staying at Dalhart's home and had in turn heard it from his brother , who may have heard it while serving time in prison. It was later performed by, among others, Hank Snow, Bill Monroe, and Brenda Lee. The first verse was sung by Liberace at the end of an episode of the 1960s television show Batman in which Liberace played the double role of twin criminal brothers, both of whom ended the episode behind bars.