Workingman Blues #2

[Verse 1]

There's an evening haze it's settling over the town

Starlight by the edge of the creek

The buying power of the proletariat's gone down

Money's getting shallow and weak

The place I love best is a sweet memory

It's a new path that we trod

They say low wages are reality

If we want to compete abroad

[Verse 2]

My cruel weapons have been put on the shelf

Come sit down on my knee

You are dearеr to me than myself

As you yourself can see

Wеll I'm listening to the steel rails hum

And I've got both eyes tight shut

Just sitting here tryin' to keep the hunger from

Creeping its way into my gut

[Chorus]

Meet me at the bottom, don't you lag behind

Bring me my boots and shoes

You can hang back or fight your best on the front line

And sing a little bit of these Workingman Blues

[Verse 3]

Well, I'm sailing on back, ready for the long haul

Been tossed by the winds and the seas

I'll drag 'em all down to hell and I'll stand 'em at the wall

I'll sell them to their enemies

I'm tryin' to feed my soul with thought

I'm gonna sleep off the rest of the day

Sometimes no one wants what you've got

Sometimes you can't give it away

[Verse 4]

This place is ringed with countless foes

Some of them may be deaf and dumb

No man, and no woman knows

The hour that sorrow will come

In the dark I hear the night birds call

I feal a lover's breath

I sleep in the kitchen with my feet in the hall

Sleep is like a temporary death

[Chorus]

Well meet me at the bottom, don't you lag behind

And bring me my boots and shoes

You can hang back or fight your best on the front line

Sing a little bit of these Workingman Blues

[Verse 5]

Well, they burned my barn and they stole my horse

And I can't save a dime

I've got to be careful, I don't want to be forced

Into a life of continual crime

I can see for myself that the sun is sinking

And how I wish you were here to see

Tell me now, am I wrong in thinking

That you have forgotten me?

[Verse 6]

They worry and they hurry and they fuss and they fret

They waste your nights and days

Them I will forget

But you I'll remember always

Because old memories of you to me have clung

You've wounded me with your words

You better straighten out your tongue

It's all true, everything you've heard

[Chorus]

Meet me at the bottom, don't you lag behind

And bring me my boots and shoes

You can hang back or fight your best on the front line

Sing a little bit of these Workingman Blues

[Verse 7]

In you, my friend, I find no blame

You wanna look in my eyes, please do

No one can ever claim

That I took up arms against you

All across these peaceful sacred fields

They will lay you low

They'll break your horns and slash you with steel

I say it so it must be so

[Verse 8]

But now I'm down on my luck and I'm black and blue

But I'm gonna give you another chance

I'm all alone, and I'm expecting you

To lead me off in a cheerful dance

I got a brand new suit and a brand new wife

I can live on rice and beans

Some people never worked a day in their lives

They don't know what work even means

[Chorus]

Well, meet me at the bottom, don't you lag behind

And bring me my boots and shoes

You can hang back or fight your best on the front line

Sing a little bit of these Workingman Blues