Ride this train to Pionridge Mississippi see that levee there
It's built to hold back the waters of Ol' Man River when he gets on a rampage
And he gets on a rampage believe me
One of these days he's gonna come right over that levee
And we're gonna have to head for the hills again
And you know how that levee was built Mister
Not with machines it is built with elbow grease
They got the men off the farms out of the houses
Even out of the honky tonks on Saturday night
I don't hardly know how it happened to me it happens fast
I just remember I was in the Green Lantern in Natchez one Saturday night
And somebody pulled a knife and somebody threw the bottle
And the next thing I knew I had a chain on my leg and a shovel in my hand
It seemed like the whole world come down on me
They whipped us like miles and when they did feed us
There was always a fight or a killin' over who's gonna get the biggest piece of meet
Whereas the boss man did't care about the killin'
That is less you killed a good worker then you get killed
If you complain about anything he just liable to give you a chance to get away
You know what I mean
They take the chains off your legs and beg you to run so they can shoot you