Featured In
Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Gregory Porter
Vocals
Aaron James
Bass
Chip Crawford
Piano
Emanuel Harrold
Drums
Keyon Harrold
Trumpet
Tivon Pennicott
Tenor Saxophone
Yosuke Sato
Alto Saxophone
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Nat Adderley
Songwriter
Oscar Brown, Jr.
Songwriter
Kamau Kenyatta
Horn Arranger
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Libery Ellman
Mixing Engineer
Brian Bacchus
Producer
Mike Marciano
Recording Engineer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Breaking up big rocks on the chain gang
Breaking rocks and serving my time
Breaking rock out here on a chain gang
Cause I've been convicted of crime
Hold it steady right there and let me hit it
Well I reckon that ought to get it
[Verse 2]
I've been working
I've been working
Oh well and I still
Got so terribly long to go
[Verse 3]
Breaking up big rocks on the chain gang
Breaking rocks and serving my time
Breaking rocks out here on the chain gang
Cause I've been convicted of crime
Hold it steady right there and let me hit it
Well I reckon that ought to get it
[Verse 4]
I've been working, I've been working
And I still got so terribly long to go
[Verse 5]
I've been convicted of crime lord I needed
Acrime of being hungry and poor
I left the grocery store man bleeding
When it caught me robbin' a store
Hold it steady right there let me hit it
Well I reckon that ought to get it
[Verse 6]
I've been working, I've been working
And I still got so terribly long to go
[Verse 7]
I heard the judge say five years of hard labor
On a chain gang you gotta go
I heard the judge say, five years of hard labor
I heard my woman scream, Lordy, no
Hold it steady right there and let me hit it
Well I reckon that ought to get it
[Verse 8]
I've been working, I've been working
And I still got so terribly long to go
[Verse 9]
Wanna see my sweet honey baby
Wanna break this chain off and run
Wanna go lay down somewhere shady
Cause it sure gets hot here in the sun
Hold it steady right there and let me hit it
Well I reckon that ought to get it
[Verse 10]
I've been working, I've been working
Still got so terribly long to go
[Verse 11]
Breaking up big rocks on the chain gang
Breaking rocks and serving my time
Breaking up big rocks out here on the chain gang
Cause I've been convicted of crime
Hold it steady right there and let me hit it
Well I reckon that ought to get it
[Verse 12]
I've been working I've been working
Still got so terribly long to go
[Verse 13]
I've been working, I've been slaving
Still got so terribly long to go
[Verse 14]
I've been working, I've been slaving
And I still got so terribly long to go, hey
Written by: Nat Adderley, Oscar Brown, Jr.