Sam Cooke, Otis Redding - Chain Gang (Lyrics, Sound Files, & Comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a rendition of the song "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke and a rendition of that same song by Otis Redding. Lyrics to those versions are also included in this post.

This post also includes information about chain gangs.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

WHAT ARE CHAIN GANGS?
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_gang
"A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work, such as mining or timber collecting, as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone. This system existed primarily in the southern parts of the United States, and by 1955 had been phased out nationwide, with Georgia the last state to abandon the practice.[1] Chain gangs were reintroduced by a few states during the "get tough on crime" 1990s, with Alabama being the first state to revive them in 1995. The experiment ended after about one year in all states except Arizona,[2] where in Maricopa County inmates can still volunteer for a chain gang to earn credit toward a high school diploma or avoid disciplinary lockdowns for rule infractions.[3]

FEATURED SONG EXAMPLES

Example #1: Sam Cooke "Chain Gang"



jijbentlilik,Uploaded on Apr 9, 2008

Video ripped from www.chaingangpictures.com so visit their website and give them the credits
-snip-

LYRICS: CHAIN GANG
(Sam Cooke and Charles Cooke)

I hear somethin' sayin'


(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


All day long they're singin'
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


All day long they work so hard
Till the sun is goin' down
Working on the highways and byways
And wearing, wearing a frown
You hear them moanin' their lives away
Then you hear somebody sa-ay


That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


Can't ya hear them singin'
Mm, I'm goin' home one of these days
I'm goin' home see my woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I got to work right he-ere


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


All day long they're singin', mm
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my work is so hard
Give me water, I'm thirsty
My work is so hard

http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/sam_cooke/chain_gang.html

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Otis Redding - Chain Gang



Tribalsanne1984, Uploaded on Mar 29, 2010
-snip-
LYRICS: CHAIN GANG
(Sam Cooke, as sung by Otis Redding)

That's the sound of the men
They are working on the chain gang, huh
That's the sound of the men
They're working on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
When they're working on the chain gang

All day long you hear them, ooh!
I'm going home, just one of these ole days
Man, i'm going home to see my woman
For my love's so dear
But meanwhile I gotta work right here now, huh

And that's the sound of the men
They're just working on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
They're working on the highways and the biways
That's the sound of the men
Working on the highway and biway
All day long they're going, ooh

Man, i'm going home to see that woman
who I love so dear
I gotta see the woman
Who I love so well
But than meanwhile I gotta work right here now, huh

Now that's the sound of us mens
When we're working on the chain gang
Oh, it's alright now, well out there

That's the sound of the men
When they're working on the chain gang, ha
That's the sound of the men
When they're working on the chain gang
All day long you hear them, ooh
Man, i'm going home one of these ole days
Man i'm going home
I got to see the woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I've gotta sit right here now, ha

Now that's the sounds of the mens
Working on the chain gang

Working, we're working
Ah, we're working man
Got to be working
Oh, every day we work a little bit stronger
Every night, man, a few bit longer
Got to be working, man
The time is going up
We got to be working, man

-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the sound file. Additions & corrections are welcome.

RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/gandy-dancers-linin-track-sound-files.html Gandy Dancers & Linin' Track Sound Files & Videos

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS
This post acknowledges all the men who worked on the chain gang. You are not forgotten.

Thanks to the musical legacy of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. Thanks also to the uploaders of this featured video and this featured song file.

Thanks for visiting pancocoojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.