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 I'm crying the blues I'm so tired of paying my dues Everybody knows I'm moanin' Breaking out here rocks 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 I reckon that ought to get it Been working, lord, been working here I got a long way to go I committed crime lord I needed Crime of being hungry and poor I left the grocery store man bleeding Lordy caught me robbing his store Hold it steady right there while I hit it I reckon that ought to get it Been working here, lord, been working here I got a long way to go I heard the judge say five years labor On chain-gang you gonna go I heard the judge say five years labor I heard my woman scream "lordy, no!" Hold it steady right there while I hit it I reckon that ought to get it Been working here, working, oh lord I got so terribly far to go I gotta go make or break 'cause I'm grievin' Gotta break my chains 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 I reckon that ought to get it Been working lord, been working, oh lord I got a long way to go Lord, I'm moanin', I'm moanin', oh lord, oh lord...