Chords for Jeff St. John - The Work Song (1966)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Well, Jeff, I think I saw you about six months ago on a show, Don Lane's Tonight Show, and
you knocked me right out.
It was gas.
Thanks very much.
How long have you been singing?
About 11 years, professionally.
11 years?
You dig the wild stuff?
It [Ab] gives you a great deal of satisfaction when you sing it.
Are you a fan of Oscar [N] Brown, Jr.,
who wrote this next song?
Yes, very much so.
You see [G] him in the [Ab] series you had, [A] the jazz series?
That's where I [Abm] happened to [Eb] find the song.
Did you?
Yes.
Actually, it was performed [Gb] a long time ago on [G] Bandstand First, for our [Ab] show, by the Allen
brothers, who are now in the States.
Do you know their work at [A] all?
Yes, yes, I used [Ab] to follow them.
Yes, well, they're coming back pretty soon, I hope.
Anyway, this is the work song.
This is Jeff St.
John.
[Fm] _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ Been _ [Fm] _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ [G] _ _ working here on the [F] chain gang.
[Gm] _ Breaking [G] my canisters and my pipes.
[Fm] _ [Gm] _ _ Working here on the [F] chain gang.
[Gm] Cause I been convicted of [Fm] crime.
[Gm] I'm going to jail, I'm going to jail.
I'm going to jail.
Oh, _ steady while I'm [Fm] _ [G] _ _ [Gm] alive, now that _ I'm working,
_ oh, [Cm] I'm working.
_ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _
_ [F] _ [Gm] _ Dictator of a crime called robbing,
_ robbing on [G] the brink [Fm] and cold.
[G] _ Left an old man hurt and a bleeding,
_ because he called me robbing his [F] soul.
[G] _ _ Oh, steady while [Fm] _ [Gm] _ I'm alive, now that I'm working,
[Fm] _ [Gm] _ _ yeah, [Cm] I'm working, Lord. _
[Eb] I [D] got to tell the [Gm] law.
_ _ [Fm] _
[Gm] _ _ Church say five years [Dm] holiday,
[Gm] _ _ change ain't your [F] comfort. _
[Gm] _ Church say five years holiday,
_ hurt my woman's heart.
No, [D] no, [Gm] _ _ _ _ no. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
[Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Fm] _
[Gm] _ _ Oh, steady while I'm here,
_ dear Lord, that you'll get [F] it,
[Gm] I'm working, _ [Cm] Lord, on the [G] right.
[Gb] _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [F] _
[G] _ Church say five years [Fm] holiday, _
[Gm] _ change ain't your _ [Fm] comfort.
[G] _ Church say five years holiday,
[F] _
[G] _ hurt my woman's heart.
No, _ no, no. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Fm] _
[Gm] _ Steady, buddy, hold it steady while [F] I'm here,
[Gm] _ _ _ Lord, that you'll [F] get it,
I'm [Gm] working, _ [Cm] yeah, I'm working, Lord.
[G] I got to tell [D] the law.
[Gm] _ _ _
Yeah, I got to tell the law to go on [F] and wait [Gm] for me,
_ _ _ _ _ [Fm] _
[Gm] _ wait for me.
_ _ [F] Mmm, [Gm] I'm the only one _ _ _ [Fm] _
[Gm] to tell the law to go, Lord, [F]
[Gm] Lord.
I got to tell the law to go.
_ [F] _ _ [G] _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _
[Fm] _ [G] _ _ [N] _ _ _ _ _