Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord 
Take away these chains from me 
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free 
Lord take away these chains from me 

Some birds' feathers are too bright to be caged 
I know I'm not that colorful but a bird just the same 
Open up your gate now, let me put down my load 
So I can feel at ease and go back to my home 

Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord 
Take away these chains from me 
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free 
Lord take away these chains from me 

Sun beatin' down, my legs can't seem to stand 
There's a boss man at a turnrow with a rifle in his hand 
I've got nine children, nothin' in the pan 
My wife she died hungry while I was plowin' land 

Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord 
Take away these chains from me 
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free 
Lord take away these chains from me 

Can't see when I go to work, can't see when I get off 
How do you expect a man not to get lost 
Every year I just keep getting deeper in debt 
If there's a happy day, Lord, I haven't seen one yet 

Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord 
Take away these chains from me 
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free 
Lord take away these chains from me 

Land that I love is the land that I'm workin' 
But it's hard to love it all the time when your back is a-hurtin' 
Gettin' too old now to push this here plow 
Please let me lay down so I can look at the clouds 

Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord 
Take away these chains from me 
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free 
Lord take away these chains from me 

Land that I know is where two rivers collide 
The Brazos the Navaho and the big blue sky 
Flood plains, freight trains, watermelon vines 
Of any place on God's green earth, this is where I choose to die 

Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord 
Take away these chains from me 
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free 
Lord take away these chains from me