Preview
Thereīs an evening haze settling over town
Starlight by the edge of the creek
The buying power of the proletariatīs gone down
Moneyīs getting shallow and weak
Well, the place I love best is a sweet memory
Itīs a new path that we trod
They say low wages are a reality
If we want to compete abroad
My cruel weapons have been put on the shelf
Come sit down on my knee
You are dearer to me than myself
As you yourself can see
While Iīm listening to the steel rails hum
Got both eyes tight shut
Just sitting here trying to keep the hunger from
Creeping itīs way into my gut
Meet me at the bottom, donīt lag behind
Bring me my boots and shoes
You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline
Sing a little bit of these workingmanīs blues
Well, Iīm sailing on back, ready for the long haul
Tossed by the winds and the seas
Iīll drag them all down to hell and Iīll stand them at the wall
Iīll sell them to their enemies
Iīm trying to feed my soul with thought
Going to sleep off the rest of the day
Sometimes no one wants what we got
Sometimes you canīt give it away
Now the place is ringed with countless foes
Some of them may be deaf and dumb
No man, no woman knows
The hour that sorrow will come
In the dark I hear the night birds call
I can feel a loverīs breath
I sleep in the kitchen with my feet in the hall
Sleep is like a temporary death
Well, they burned my barn, and they stole my horse
I canīt save a dime
I got to be careful, I donīt want to be forced
Into a life of continual crime
I can see for myself that the sun is sinking
How I wish you were here to see
Tell me now, am I wrong in thinking
That you have forgotten me?
Now they worry and they hurry and they fuss and they fret
They waste your nights and days
Them I will forget
But you Iīll remember always
Old memories of you to me have clung
Youīve wounded me with your words
Gonna have to straighten out your tongue
Itīs all true, everything youīve heard
In you, my friend, I find no blame
Wanna look in my eyes, please do
No one can ever claim
That I took up arms against you
All across the peaceful sacred fields
They will lay you low
Theyīll break your horns and slash you with steel
I say it so it must be so
Now Iīm down on my luck and Iīm black and blue
Gonna give you another chance
Iīm all alone and Iīm expecting you
To lead me off in a cheerful dance
I got a brand new suit and a brand new wife
I can live on rice and beans
Some people never worked a day in their life
Donīt know what work even means.