Chain Gang Chords & Lyrics - Johnny Cash

[INTRO]
[A] [D] [E] [A]

[VERSE 1]
[A]I was just a kid [D]roaming around
[E]Traveling thru a [A]little old town
[A]A man walked up and said [D]come with me
[A]Your [E]broken son that's [A]vagrancy
[A]A care-free lad t[D]hat loved to roam but
[E]Lord I wish I'd-a[A] stayed at home
[A]The way it looks I'll pro[D]bably hang
[A]Cause[E] there ain't no ho[A]pe on a chain gang

[CHORUS]
I [D]dig that ditch I [A]chop that corn
I [E]curse the day that [A]I was born
[A]I believe it's better for a [D]man to hang
[D]Than to [E]work like a dog on a [A]chain gang

[BREAK 1]
[A] [D] [E] [A]

[VERSE 2]
[A]The guard stands [D]there with a great big gun
[E]I bet he'd love t[A]o see me run
[A]And I guess I probably wi[D]ll someday
[A]I'd r[E]ather be dead than[A] to live this way
[A]He's well-fed and[D] he's six-foot tall
[E]And he's the mean[A]est of them all
[A]He cracks that whip and h[D]e swings that cane
[A]That [E]sun must've touche[A]d his brain

[CHORUS]
I [D]dig that ditch I [A]chop that corn
I [E]curse the day that [A]I was born
[A]I believe it's better for a [D]man to hang
[D]Than to [E]work like a dog on a [A]chain gang

[BREAK 2]
[A] [D] [E] [A] [D] [E] [A]

[VERSE 3]
[A]I got a gal back [D]home that's sweet and kind
[E]But she's been wa[A]iting a long long time
[A]I just told her to forget[D] my name
[A]I won[E]'t ever live down [A]the shame
[A]Lord deliver me f[D]rom his hole
[E]Before I lose my [A]mind and soul
[A]The flesh gets weak and t[D]he back gets broke
[A]There[E] ain't no cause to[A] laugh and joke

[CHORUS]
I [D]dig that ditch I [A]chop that corn
I [E]curse the day that [A]I was born
[A]I believe it's better for a [D]man to hang
[D]Than to [E]work like a dog on a [A]chain gang
[E]Work like a dog on a [A]chain gang
[E]Work like a dog on a [A]chain gang