I was sitting beside the road in blackjack county
Not knowing that the sheriff paid a bounty
For men like me who didn't have a penny to their names
So he locked my leg to thirty-five pounds
Of blackjack county chain
And all we had to eat was bread and water
And each day we had to build that road
A mile and a quarter
And a black snake whip would cut our backs
When some poor fool complained
But we couldn't fight back wearing thirty-five pounds
Of blackjack county chain
Then one night while the sheriff was a- sleeping
We all gathered 'round him, slowly creeping
And heaven help me to forget that night
In the cold, cold rain
When we beat him to death with the thirty-five pounds
Of blackjack county chain
Now the whip marks have all healed and i'm thankful
That there's nothing but a scar around my ankle
But most of all i'm glad no man
Will be a slave again
To a black-snake ship and thirty-five pounds
Of blackjack county chain
1967 tree publishing co., inc.