Folk Singer's Blues

Shel SilversteinShel Silverstein 

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Shel Silverstein

Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein (September 25, 1930 – May 8/9, 1999), was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books. Translated into more than 30 languages, his books have sold over 20 million copies. more »

Year:

1962

2:55

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Well, I'd like to sing a song about the chain gang (whap!)
And swingin' twelve pound hammers all the day, (whap!)
And how a I'd like to kill my captain (whap!)
And how a black man works his life away, but

What do you do if you're young and white and jewish?
And you've never swung a hammer against a spike?
And you've never called a water boy
Early in the morning
And your only chain is the chain that's on your bike? yes
Your only chain is the chain on your bike

Now I'd like to go a-walkin up the highway
Feelin' cold and wet and hungry all night long
Doin' some hard ramblin', hard gamblin', hard smamblin', hard blamblin'
But always takin' time to write a song, but

What do you do if you're young and white and jewish?
And you never heard an old freight whistle blow?
And you've never slept the night
In a cold and empty box car
And you take a subway everywhere you go? oh, oh
You take the subway everywhere you go

Now I'd like to sing a song about the coal mine
A-chippin' away in tunnel 22
And when I hear that timber crack, why I support it with my back
Until my comrades all crawl safely through, but

What do you do if you're young and white and jewish?
And you've got to be in class at half-past nine
And in spite of all your urgin', and your pleadin' and your cryin'
Your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine, that what she says,
Your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine

Well now, I'd like to sing about the mississippi
Workin' on the levee all the day
And when them cotton bolls get rotten
You got a lotta rotten cotton
And on Saturday you go and spend your pay, but

What do you do if you're young and white and jewish?
And you've never loaded cotton on the dock?
And you've never worked a day
Or drunk up all your pay
And the only levee you know is the levy who lives on the block, yes
The only levee you know is the levy who lives on the block

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