Lyrics Language: Scots Song writer/composer(s): Sam Cooke
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Sam CookeChain Gang Lyrics:
Ho ha ho ha
I hear somethin' sayin'
Ho ha ho ha
Ho ha ho ha
Well don't you know
That's the sound of the men
Workin' on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
Workin' on the chain gang
All day long they're sayin'
Ho ha ho ha
Ho ha ho ha
Well don't you know
That's the sound of the men
Workin' on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
Workin' on the chain gang
All day long they work so hard
Till the sun is going' down
Workin' on the highways and byways
And wearing, wearing a frown
You hear them moanin' their lives away
Then you hear somebody say
That's the sound of the men
Workin' on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
Workin' on the chain gang
Can't hear them sayin'
Hmm, I'm goin' home one of these days
I'm goin' home
See my woman whom I love so dear
Meanwhile I have to work right here
Well don't you know
That's the sound of the men
Workin' on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
Workin' on the chain gang
All day long they're sayin'
Hmm, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my work is so hard
Give me water I'm thirsty
My, my work is so hard
My, my, my, my, my, my, my work is so hard
Oh ooo oh ooo, hmm
The lyrics on the most recent version are sanctioned by the composer, or owner of the rights to the lyrics, however, there may be lyrics that are more complete on the prior version(s) that have been submitted by a contributor to mp3lyrics.org
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Sam Cooke Chain Gang Lyrics Information:
SOMETIMES THE LYRICS ON PREVIOUS VERSIONS ARE MORE ACCURATE THAN THE
ONESDISPLAYED BY GRACENOTE AS THE CURRENT VERSION. YOU MAY VIEW THESE
LYRICS BY CLICKING ON THE LINK "SEE OTHER VERSIONS" IN THE ORANGE BOX
ABOVE.
CHAIN GANG1a1b
Written by: Sam Cooke & Charles Cooke
Produced by: Hugo Peretti & Luigi Creatore
Performed by: Sam Cooke 23
First released: 4
Single: July 26, 1960
Album: 1962 5
1a In 1960 "Chain Gang" reached #2 on both the Billboard's U.S. Pop
Singles Chart and U.S. R&B Singles Chart, and #9 on the U.K. Singles
chart. In the TV series Full House, (1987-1995), episode "A Pox in Our
House," Jesse, Joey, and Stephanie sing "Chain Gang" as they deal with
Chicken Pox. And in 1990 the song was included in the soundtrack of the
movie Cadence starring Charlie Sheen.
1b Chain gangs were popular in the United states from the early 1920s until
about 1955. Th practice was to take a group of prisoners, chained
together,outside of the prison to perform physically challenging work as a
form of punishment or to earn priviledges. Their tasks might include
building roads, digging ditches or chipping stones.
2 Personnel performing on this recording:
* Same Cooke (vocals)
3 Covered by:
Maggie Bell
Black Tie
Blackstone Reggae Allstars
The Chaperals
Rick Danko
Fish Heads & Rice
Jim Ford
Winston Francis
Ted Hawkins
Jim Croce (as a medley with "He Don't Love You" and "Searchin'")
King Curtis
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Johnny Nash
The Nylons
Lou Rawls
Otis Redding
Robert Reich
Bob Rivers (parodied as "That's the Sound of the Men") 6
Showaddywaddy
The Supremes
Bobby Tench
Texas Chainsaw Orchestra
Jackie Wilson & Count Basie
et al.
4 Released on: *
SINGLE(s):
(1) Sam Cooke:
A-side: "Chain Gang"
B-side: "I Fall in Love Every Day"
(a) RCA Victor, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm Single, Picture Sleeve, #47-7783, US-1960.
(2) Sam Cooke:
A-side: "Wonderful World"
B-side: "Chain Gang"
(a) RCA Victor, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm Single, Picture Sleeve, #PB-49-871, US-1986.
* The album(s) and record(s) listed here may have different versions
of the song than the one that was transcribed. Also, this list is not
intended to be the complete discography on which this song appears.
5 There may be earlier issues that contain this song, but I haven't been
able to find written documentation of them.
