Well, I'd like to sing a song about the chain gang (Whap!) And swingin' twelve pound hammers all the day, (Whap!) And how a I'd like to kill my captain (Whap!) And how a black man works his life away, but... What do you do if you're young and white and Jewish? And you've never swung a hammer against a spike? And you've never called a water boy Early in the morning And your only chain is the chain that's on your bike? Yes, Your only chain is the chain on your bike.
Now I'd like to a-walkin up the highway Feelin' cold and wet and hungry all night long, Doin' some hard ramblin', hard gamblin', hard smamblin', hard blamblin' But always takin' time to write a song. But... What do you do if you're young and white and Jewish? And you never heard an old freight whistle blow? And you've never slept the night In a cold and empty box car And you take a subway everywhere you go? Oh, oh You take the subway everywhere you go.
Now I'd like to sing a song about the coal mine A-chippin' away in tunnel 22 And when I hear that timber crack, why I support it with my back Until my comrades all crawl safely through, but... What do you do if you're young and white and Jewish? And you've got to be in class at half-past nine And in spite of all your urgin', and your pleadin' and your cryin' Your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine, That what she says, Your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine.
Well now, I'd like to sing about the Mississippi, Workin' on the levee all the day And when them cotton bolls get rotten You got a lotta rotten cotton And on Saturday you go and spend your pay, but What do you do if you're young and white and Jewish? And you've never loaded cotton on the dock? And you've never worked a day Or drunk up all your pay And the only levee you know is the Levy who lives on the block, Yes The only levee you know is the Levy who lives on the block.
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Copy to Clipboard: Folk Singer's Blues (Shel Silverstein)
Well, I'd like to sing a song about the chain gang (Whap!) And swingin' twelve pound hammers all the day, (Whap!) And how a I'd like to kill my captain (Whap!) And how a black man works his life away, but... What do you do if you're young and white and Jewish? And you've never swung a hammer against a spike? And you've never called a water boy Early in the morning And your only chain is the chain that's on your bike? Yes, Your only chain is the chain on your bike.
Now I'd like to a-walkin up the highway Feelin' cold and wet and hungry all night long, Doin' some hard ramblin', hard gamblin', hard smamblin', hard blamblin' But always takin' time to write a song. But... What do you do if you're young and white and Jewish? And you never heard an old freight whistle blow? And you've never slept the night In a cold and empty box car And you take a subway everywhere you go? Oh, oh You take the subway everywhere you go.
Now I'd like to sing a song about the coal mine A-chippin' away in tunnel 22 And when I hear that timber crack, why I support it with my back Until my comrades all crawl safely through, but... What do you do if you're young and white and Jewish? And you've got to be in class at half-past nine And in spite of all your urgin', and your pleadin' and your cryin' Your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine, That what she says, Your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine.
Well now, I'd like to sing about the Mississippi, Workin' on the levee all the day And when them cotton bolls get rotten You got a lotta rotten cotton And on Saturday you go and spend your pay, but What do you do if you're young and white and Jewish? And you've never loaded cotton on the dock? And you've never worked a day Or drunk up all your pay And the only levee you know is the Levy who lives on the block, Yes The only levee you know is the Levy who lives on the block.
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