Chords for The Work Song - Maria Muldaur

_ _ _ [C#] _ Back before the blues were blue, _ [C#] _ when the good [A#m] old songs were [F#m] new,
[C#] _
songs that may [G] no longer _ [C#] please us, about the dark is about [D#]
Jesus.
[G#] _ Mississippi [C#] minstrels, color of molasses,
[F#] strummin' on their [C#] banjos [G#] to [C#] entertain their masses.
[A#m] Some said garbage, [A] others _ _ [A#m] you couldn't [C#] call, you had to call it hard. _ _ _ _ _
[G#] Roads back scope, bending, [C#] digging holes, the plant the seed,
[F#] the owners ate the cane [C#] and the workers ate the weeds,
[G#] put wood in the stove [C#] and water in the cup.
[F#] You worked so hard [C#] that you died standing up. _ _ _ _ _ _
When I _ was a little _ thing, [C#] my papa tried [A#m] to make [A] me sing,
[C#] _ home sweet [G] home and orally.
_ [C#] _ These were songs that my daddy [D#] taught [G#] me,
camp town races [C#] and Susanna don't you cry,
[F#] gentle Annie still [G#] brings a tear to [C#] my _ [A#m] _ _ eye.
Some said garbage, [A] others you _ _ [G] couldn't [C#] call, you had to call it hard.
_ [F#] _ [C#] _ _
_ [G#] Roads back scope, bending, digging holes, [C#] the plant the seed,
[F#] the owners ate the cane [C#] and the workers ate the weeds,
[G#] put wood in the stove [C#] and water in the cup.
[F#] You worked so hard [C#] that you died standing up. _ _ _ _ _ _
Sing me songs about [G] days gone by,
[C#] _ make me laugh [A#m] and make me [A] cry,
_ _ [C#] _ break my [G] female heart in two. _
[C#] Sing me songs that say [D#]
I_
_ [G#] _ Lower your eyes and [C#] raise your hand up to your breast,
[F#] sing me one about the [C#] sun setting in the west.
[A#m] _ _ _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ _
_ _ _ [C#] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G#] Roads back scope, bending, [C#] digging holes, the plant the seed,
[F#] the owners ate the cane [G#] and the workers [C#] ate the weeds,
[G#] put wood in the stove [C#] and water [F#] in the cup.
[F#] You worked so hard [C#] that you died standing [G#] up.
Roads back scope, bending, [C#] digging holes, the plant the seed,
[F#] the owners ate the cane [G#] and the workers [C#] ate the weeds,
[G#] put wood in the stove [C#] and water in the cup.
[F#] You worked so hard [C#] that you [G#] died [C#] standing _ up.
_ _ _ [F#] _ _ _ _ [C#] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G#] _ _ _ _ _