Black History Album: The Way We Were

Off the Chain | 1905 on Flickr.

African American members of a prison chain gang near Huntsville, Alabama. 1905 “Chain Gang” by SAM COOKE

I hear somethin’ sayin’

(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)

(Well, don’t you know)
That’s the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang

All day long they’re singin’
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)

(Well, don’t you know)
That’s the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang

All day long they work so hard
Till the sun is goin’ down
Working on the highways and byways
And wearing, wearing a frown
You hear them moanin’ their lives away
Then you hear somebody sa-ay

That’s the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang

Can’t ya hear them singin’
Mm, I’m goin’ home one of these days
I’m goin’ home see my woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I got to work right he-ere

(Well, don’t you know)
That’s the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang

All day long they’re singin’, mm
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my work is so hard
Give me water, I’m thirsty
My work is so hard

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