Sam Cooke - Chain Gang Lyrics
Lyrics
(Hoh! Ah!) I hear something saying (Hoh! Ah!)
(Hoh! Ah!)(Well don't you know)
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, ga-ang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
All day long they're singing (Hoh! Ah!)
(Well don't you know)
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, ga-ang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
All day long they work so hard till the sun is going down
Working on the highways and byways and wearing, wearing a frown
You hear they moaning their lives away
Then you hear somebody say
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, ga-ang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
Can't you hear them singing, mmm (Hoh! Ah!)
I'm going home one of these days
I'm going home, see my woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I gotta work right here
(Well don't you know)
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, ga-ang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
All day long they're singing, mmm (Hoh! Ah!)
My work is so hard
Give me water
I'm thirsty, my work is so hard
Woah ooo
My work is so hard
Video
Sam Cooke - Chain Gang (High Quality)
Meaning & Inspiration
Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang," released in 2011 as part of a high-quality collection, stands as a powerful testament to human endurance and the longing for liberation, echoing spiritual themes that resonate deeply with the spirit of the Scripture. Though not explicitly a gospel song, its narrative of men toiling under harsh conditions, their spirits lifted by a shared song and the hope of return, speaks to the universal human condition of striving and seeking redemption. The "Hoh! Ah!" vocalizations at the beginning and throughout the song are more than just sounds; they are the very breath of labor, the groans of exertion, and the spontaneous expressions of collective experience. Cooke masterfully transforms these raw sounds into a rhythmic lament that captures the essence of hardship.
The core message of "Chain Gang" is one of shared struggle and unwavering hope for a better day. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of men working tirelessly, their faces etched with weariness as the sun dips below the horizon, building highways and byways. This arduous labor, marked by moans and the desperate plea, "Give me water / I'm thirsty," evokes the ancient suffering of those bound by circumstance. It calls to mind the Israelites in Egypt, groaning under their oppressive taskmasters, their cries reaching God for deliverance. As Exodus 2:23-24 states, "The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cries for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant." Similarly, the chain gang workers, though their immediate hope is personal – seeing loved ones again – carry a deeper, unconscious yearning for freedom from their chains, a yearning that God always hears.
Cooke's portrayal of the workers singing their lives away carries a profound spiritual weight. This singing isn't a song of joy but a way to endure, a way to maintain their humanity in the face of dehumanizing work. It’s a form of spiritual resilience, much like the psalmist who declared in Psalm 30:5, "weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." The shared song becomes a communal prayer, a collective act of faith that binds them together and sustains them. The repeated refrain, "I'm going home one of these days / I'm going home, see my woman / Whom I love so dear," is a powerful expression of faith in the future, a belief that hardship is not eternal. This anticipation of homecoming mirrors the believer's hope for eternal life with God, a destination far more significant than any earthly return. The very act of working, despite the pain, is framed by Cooke as a necessary step towards that eventual freedom, mirroring the biblical understanding that even in trials, God is at work, shaping us for His purposes, as Romans 8:28 assures, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." "Chain Gang" ultimately transcends its literal depiction of labor to become an anthem of the human spirit's indomitable will to survive, to hope, and to believe in a coming redemption, a message that will undoubtedly continue to inspire for generations.