Working on the Highway

[Verse 1]

Friday night's pay night, guys fresh outta work

Yeah we'll be talking 'bout the weekend, scrubbing off the dirt

Some heading home to their families, some looking to get hurt

Some going down to the Stovall wearing trouble on their shirts

Well I work for the county out on old I-5

All day long I hold a red flag and watch the traffic pass me by

In my head I keep a picture of my pretty little miss

Someday, mister, I'm gonna lead a better life than this

[Chorus]

Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop

Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop

Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock

Working on the highway, working on the highway

[Verse 2]

Well I met her at a dance down the union hall

She was standing with her brothers back up against the wall

Sometimes we'd go walking down the union tracks

One day I looked straight at her and she looked straight back

[Chorus]

So I'm working on the highway, laying down the blacktop

Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop

Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock

Working on the highway, working on the highway

The highway, yes

[Verse 3]

Well I saved up my money and I put it all away

I went to see her daddy but we didn't have much to say

"Son, can't you see that she's just a little girl?

She don't know nothing 'bout this cruel, cruel world"

We lit out down to Florida, we got along all right

One day her brothers came and got her and they took me in a black-and-white, yes

Prosecutor kept the promise that he made on that day

And the judge got mad and he put me straight away

So now I wake up every morning to the work bell clang

Me an' the warden go swingin' on the Charlotte County road gang

[Chorus]

Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop

Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop

Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock

Working on the highway, working on the highway, yes

The highway