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