I was sittin' beside the r oad in Black Jack County.
not knowing that that the Sheriff paid a bounty,
for men like me that didn't have a penny to their name.
So he locked my leg to 35 pounds of Black Jack County Chains.
And all we had to eat was bread and water,
and each day we built the road a mile and a quarter,
a Black Snake Whip, would cut our back,
when some poor Fool co mplained,
but we couldn't fight back wearing 35 pounds
of Black Jack Co unty Ch ains.
One night while the S heriff was a s leeping,
we all gathered r ound him slowly c reeping,
and eaven help me to forget that night in the cold cold rain,
when we beat him to death with 35 pounds
of Black Jack County hains.
now the whip marks are all healed and I'm thankful,
there's nothing but the scar around my ankle.
but most of all I'm glad no man will be a slave again,
to a Black Snake Whip, and 35 pounds of Black Jack County Chain.