Grimsby Poets Forums

Though it has had many covers and many versions the song 'The Work Song' or 'Chain Gang' is about prison.
Unlike its second verse, the traditional first verse of The Work Song (or Chain Gang) blamed the woman - 'all because of that woman of mine'. Your website version has more consistancy, seems more woman-friendly and makes it more strongly a 'jailed for my love' song - and I like it ?!

The Work Song or Chain Gang

Breaking up these rocks on a chain gang,
breaking rocks and serving my time.
Breaking up these rocks on a chain gang,
for what I did for that woman of mine.
Hold it steady right there while I hit it,
well I reckon that oughta get it.
I've been working, I've been working,
but I've still got a long way to go.

Well the judge said nine years of labour,
into the chain gang you've gotta go,
Well the judge said nine years of labour,
and my woman cried "Oh Lordy no!"
Hold it steady right there while I hit it,
well I reckon that oughta get it.
I've been working, I've been working,
but I've still got a long way to go.

Below hear the Nina Simone version ;

Well 'a good cause got me in trouble' can make for strong song themes of many varieties, mostly happening because believing very strongly in something can get us wrongly taking a good end as justifying any means - and so attract punishment for the error that is justice but feels unjust ?!

Know any other good lyric Clare on that kind of theme besides Chain Gang ?

A sad classic jazz song by Louis Armstrong that I like is St James Infirmary (also done by The Animals and others) ;

St James Infirmary

I went down to the Saint James infirmary
I saw my baby there.
She was stretched out on a long white table
So sweet...so cold...so fair.

Let her go...let her go...god bless her
Wherever she may be.
She can look this wide world over
But she'll never find a sweet man like me.

When I die I want you to dress me in straight lace shoes
I wanna wear a boxback coat and a stetson hat.
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So the boys'll know that I died standing flat.

I went down to the Saint James infirmary
I saw my baby there.
She was stretched out on a long white table
So sweet...so cold...so fair.

Louis Armstrong did a good slow-jazz version, but hear Katie Smith's version ;

Interesting Grimdad that The Animals recorded the Louis Armstrong jazz classic Saint James Infirmery.

Their hit The House of the Rising Sun was a rewrite of an old classic blues song about a brothel and had a sound in a somewhat similar vein ?

THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN

There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I'm one

My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new bluejeans
My father was a gamblin' man
Down in New Orleans

Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and trunk
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk

Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun

Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain

Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I'm one

Another of this ilk that I really like is 'The Seventh Son' ;

THE SEVENTH SON, Johnny Rivers.

Everybody talkin' 'bout the seventh son
In the whole wide world there is only one,
And I'm the one, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son

I can tell your future, it will come to pass
I can do things to you make your heart feel glad
Look in the sky, predict the rain
Tell when a woman's got another man

I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son

I can talk these words that will sound so sweet
They will even make your little heart skip a beat
Heal the sick, raise the dead
Make the little girls talk outta their heads

I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son

I can talk these words that will sound so sweet
They will even make your little heart skip a beat
Heal the sick, raise the dead
And make the little girls talk outta their heads

I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son

I'm the one, hey, hey
I'm the one
Oh, I'm the one, babe
Oooo, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son.

Or,

THE SEVENTH SON, Willie Dixon.

Well now everybody cryin' 'bout the seventh son
But in the whole round world there is only one,
And I'm the one, yes, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one,
I'm the one they call the seventh son.

Well I can tell your future before it comes to pass
And I can do things for you that make your heart feel glad
Look at the skies and predict the rain
I can tell when a woman's got another man.

I'm the one, yes, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one,
I'm the one they call the seventh son.

Now I can hold you close and I can squeeze you tight
And I can make you cry for me both day and night
And I can heal the sick and even raise the dead
And make you little girls talk out of your head.

I'm the one, yes, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one,
I'm the one they call the seventh son.

Now I can talk these words that sound so sweet
I can make your little heart even skip a beat
I can take you, baby, hold you in my arms
And make the flesh quiver on your lovely bones.

I'm the one, yes, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one,
I'm the one they call the seventh son.

Well now everybody cryin' 'bout the seventh son
But in the whole round world there is only one,
And I'm the one, yes, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one,
I'm the one they call the seventh son
I'm the one they call the seventh son
I'm the one they call the seventh son.

Well Adam I'm sure I remember another version of The Seventh Son that included ;

I can sing these words that are oh so sweet,
Sweep you little girls right off your feet.
I can heal the sick and raise the dead,
Swoon you pretty girls right off your head.

Thanks that sounds great it was a big help. I had an ending but it didn't sound any good and I just wanted to see what other people thought and what they could come up with, and I like it so you don't mind if I use it do u?