Go down … Hannah go down
And stay down…

Breakin’ up these rocks on-a chain gang
Breakin’ rocks and servin’ my time

Breakin’ up these rocks on-a chain gang
‘cause I been convicted of a crime
Hold it steady right there while I hit it … huh!
Oh, reckon that ought-a get it
Been workin’ … I been workin’
But, I got me so terrible long to go

I been convicted of the crime, Lord, of needin’ 
Crime of bein’ hungry and poor
Had-a leave some grocery man bleedin’

When he found me robbin’ his store
Hold it steady right there while I hit it … huh!
Oh, reckon that ought-a get it
Been workin’ … I been workin’
But, I got me so terrible long to go

Heard a judge say, “Five years labor
To the chain gang you got-a go”
Heard a judge say, “Five years labor”
Heard my woman scream, “Lordy, no!”
Hold it steady right there while I hit it … huh!
Oh, reckon that ought-a get it
Been workin’ … I been workin’
But, I got me so terrible long to go

Captain told me, “You got to watch your behavior…
If you’re gonna work just like a natural born man”
I told the captain, “You’d be meetin’ your Savior… 
You come on close to this hammer in my hand”
Hold him steady right there while I hit him … huh!
Oh, reckon that ought-a get him
Been workin’ … I been workin’
But, I got me so terrible long to go

I wanna see my sweet, honey baby
I got to break these chains off and run
I wanna lay my head where it’s shady
Lord knows it’s hot in this sun.
Hold it steady right there while I hit it … huh!
Oh, reckon that ought-a get it
Been workin’ … I been workin’
But, I got me so terrible long to go

See I been workin’ … I been workin’…
But, I got me so terrible long to go…
You know I got me so terrible long to go…
Lord … I got me so damn long to go!