Intro
N.F D Am
Every mornin' finds me moanin'
N.F D Am
Life's a losing gamble to me
N.F D Am
Cause of all the trouble I see
N.F D Am
Everybody knows I'm moanin'
N.F D Am
Every evenin' finds me moanin'
N.F D Am
I'm alone and I'm crying the blues
N.F D Am
I'm so tired of paying my dues
N.F D Am
Everybody knows I'm moanin'
[Verse 1]
Am
Breaking out here rocks on the chain gang
Am
Breaking rocks and serving my time
Am
Breaking rocks out here on the chain gang
Am E7
Lord I've been convicted me of crime
Am
Hold it steady right there while I hit it
Am
I reckon that ought to get it
Dm Am
Been working, lord, been working here
Am
I got a long way to go
[Verse 2]
Am
I committed crime lord I needed
Am
Crime of being hungry and poor
Am
I left the grocery store man bleeding
Am E7
Lordy caught me robbing his store
Am
Hold it steady right there while I hit it
Am
I reckon that ought to get it
Dm Am
Been working here, lord, been working here
Am
I got a long way to go
[Verse 3]
Am
I heard the judge say five years labor
Am
On chain-gang you gonna go
Am
I heard the judge say five years labor
E7
I heard my woman scream "lordy, no!"
Am
Hold it steady right there while I hit it
Am
I reckon that ought to get it
Dm Am
Been working here, working, oh lord
Dm Am
I got so terribly far to go
[Verse 4]
Am
I gotta go make or break 'cause I'm grievin'
Am
Gotta break my chains off to run
Am
And if the boss man stops me from leavin'
E7
I tell you, lord I'm gonna get him one
Am
Hold him steady right there while I hit him
Am
I reckon that ought to get it
Dm Am Dm Am
Been working lord, been working, oh lord
Am
I got a long way to go
[Outro]
Dm Fm E7 Am G F E7 Am
Lord, I'm moanin', I'm moanin', oh lord...