Work Song (Brown Jr)

'Work Song' is a 1960 instrumental jazz standard composed by cornetist Nat Adderley and recorded by him in January for release on the Riverside label.

Lyrics were added later that year by Oscar BROWN Jr:

Breaking rocks out here on the chain gang, breaking rocks and serving my time
Breaking rocks out here on the chain gang, cause I've been convicted a crime
Hold it steady right there while I hit it, well reckon that ought to get it
Been working, and working, but I still got so terribly long/far to go

I commited crime lord I needed, crime of being hungry and poor
I left the grocery store man bleeding, when they caught me robbing his store
Hold it steady right there while I hit it, well reckon that ought to get it
Been working, and working, but I still got so terribly long/far to go

I heard the judge say five years, on chain-gang you gonna go
I heard the judge say five years labor, I heard my old man scream "lordy, no!"
Hold it right there while I hit it, well reckon that ought to get it
Been working, and working, but I still got so terribly long/far to go

Gonna see my sweet honey baby, gonna break this chain off to run
Gonna lay down somewhere shady, Lord it sure is hot in the sun
Hold it steady right there while I hit it, well reckon that ought to get it
Been workin’ and workin’, but I still got so terribly long/far to go


Recordings exist by: Oscar Brown Jr (1960), Nina Simone, Tommy Hunt, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Billy Eckstine w/ Quincy Jones, Bobby Darin, Georgie Fame, Bobby Freeman, Sammy Davis Jr w/ Count Basie, James Royal, Chuck Jackson, José Feliciano, O.C. Smith, Gerry Lockran, Bobby Darin, Jackie Trent w/ Tony Hatch, Pat Lundy, Tamás Berki, Omar & The Howlers, Lyambiko, Carmes Gomes Inc, Bonnie Bramlett, Cynthia Felton, Magda Piskorczyk, Gregory Porter, Anneli Evaldson, China Moses, Billy Boy Arnold, etc.