Work song

These chains, these chains, these chains, these chains these chains, these chains, these chains, these chains

 

I remember you

Happy talk

Hold it steady right there

 while I hit it

Arriving soon

Just a dream

Azul serape

Well I reckon yeah that oughta get it

Behind the green door

Happy talk

Things are getting better

Bohemia after dark

Mercy, mercy, mercy

The Old Country

Soon

Jive Samba

A ritualistic dance performed by turkeys while trying to avoid becoming the main course

Never will I marry

If I were a rich man

Hold it steady right there while I hit it...

Well I reckon that ought to get it



Work Song
Oscar Brown, Jr., Nat Adderly

Breaking rocks out here on the chain gang
Breaking rocks and serving my time
Breaking rocks out here on the chain gang
Because they done 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 so terribly far 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 [edit] woman 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

Gonna see my sweet honey bee
Gonna break this chain off to run
Gonna lay down somewhere shady
Lord I sure am hot in the sun
Hold it right there while I hit it
Well reckon that ought to get it
Been workin’ and workin’
Been workin’ and slavin’
An’ workin’ and workin’
But I still got so terribly far to go

By Oscar brown jr, nat adderley

And on the seventh day they cried mercy