Chain Gang
Captivity's Lament: Unraveling the Chains of Life's Struggles
Lyrics
(Chain gang chain gang)
Repetition emphasizing the life on a chain gang
I was just a kid a roamin' around travelin' through a little ol' town
The singer recalls being young and traveling through a small town
When a chief walked up and said come with me you're broke and son that's vagrancy
A law enforcement officer accuses the singer of vagrancy and demands compliance
Just a carefully led who loved to roam and how I wish that I had stayed at home
Regrets wandering and wishes for having stayed home
For the way that I pleaded I would rather hang it's no life of living on a chain gang
The singer regrets pleading guilty and feels death would be preferable to life on a chain gang
I dig that ditch I chop that corn I curse the day that I was born
The singer describes the hard labor and expresses resentment and despair
I believe it's better for a man to hang than to work like a dog on a chain gang
The singer expresses a preference for death over the grueling work on a chain gang
(Chain gang chain gang)
Reiteration emphasizing the life on a chain gang
Well the guard stands there with a great big gun I bet he'd love to see me run
The guard is armed and seems to desire the escape of the singer
And I guess I probably will some day I'd rather be dead than to live this way
The singer contemplates escape or death rather than enduring the chain gang
He looks well fed and six foot tall and he's the meanest of us all
The guard is described as imposing and harsh
For he cracks that whip and he swings that cane I reckon the sun must've touched his brain
The guard is brutal, indicating the harshness of the environment
I dig that ditch
Continuation of the hard labor and despair
(Chain gang chain gang)
Repetition emphasizing the life on a chain gang
I gat a gal back home who's true and kind and she's been a waitin' a long long time
The singer reminisces about a faithful partner waiting for them
I rolled and told her forget my name for I'll never lose this chain gang chain
The singer feels resigned to never being free from the chain gang
The heaven to deliver me from this hole where a man can lose his mind and soul
The singer wishes for deliverance from the dehumanizing conditions of the chain gang
The place gets weak and the back gets broke ain't no cause to laugh and joke
Describes the toll on the body and spirit, highlighting the seriousness of the situation
I dig that ditch
Continued portrayal of the difficult and degrading labor
Work like a dog on a chain gang work like a dog on a chain gang
Reiteration of the toil and degradation of working on a chain gang
Comment