Every mornin finds me moanin
life's a losing gamble to me
cause of all the trouble i see
everybody knows i'm moanin
every evenin finds me moanin
i'm alone and crying the blues
i'm so tired of paying my dues

Breaking rocks out here on the chain gang
Breaking rocks and serving my time
Breaking rocks out here on the chain gang lord i've been convicted me of crime
Hold it steady right there while I hit it
well reckon that ought to get it
been
working and working
but I still got a long way to go

I commited crime Lord I needed
Crime of being hungry and poor
I left the grocery store man bleeding (breathing?)
When they caught me robbing his store
Hold it steady right there while I hit it
Well reckon that ought to get it
been
working and working
but I still got so terribly far to go

I heard the judge say five years
On chain-gang you gonna go
I heard the judge say five years labor
I heard my old man scream "Lordy, no!"
Hold it right there while I hit it
well reckon that ought to get it
been
working and working
but I still got so terribly far to go

gotta go make or break cause i'm grievin
Gotta break this chain off to run
and if the boss man stops me from leavin
i tell you lord i'm gonna get him one
Hold him steady right there while I hit him
well reckon that ought to get it
been
workin' and workin'
i got a long way to go