D7/F#  C

[Verse 1]
                D7              C
Back before the blues were blue
                  D7             C
When the good ol’ songs were new
                  D7               C
Songs that may no longer please us
                   F     C
‘Bout the darkies, about Jesus
G                      C
Mississippi minstrels, colour of molasses
F                            C    G          C
Strumming on their banjos to entertain their massas
Am                 Abaug
Some said garbage, others said art
    C        D7      C         D7     G       C      F  C  F C
You couldn’t call it soul, you had to call it heart


[Chorus]
    G                            C
Oh, backs broke bending, digging holes to plant the seeds
    F                           C       G       C
The owners ate the cane and the workers ate the weeds
        G                     C
Put the wood in the stove and water in the cup
    F                       C    G        C   F  C  F C
You worked so hard that you died standing up


[Verse 2]
             D7           C
When I was a little thing
              D7           C
Papa tried to make me sing
                 D7              C
'Home Sweet Home' and 'Aura Lee'
                         F     C
These were songs that my daddy taught me
 G                      C
'Camptown Races' and 'Susannah Don’t You Cry'
 F                            C    G     C
'Gentle Annie' still brings a tear to my eye
Am                Abaug
Label it garbage, label it art
    C        D7      C         D7     G       C      F  C  F C
You couldn’t call it soul, you had to call it heart


[Chorus]
    G                            C
Oh, backs broke bending, digging holes to plant the seeds
    F                           C       G       C
The owners ate the cane and the workers ate the weeds
        G                     C
Put the wood in the stove and water in the cup
    F                       C    G        C   F  C  F C
You worked so hard that you died standing up


[Verse 3]
                 D7           C
Sing me songs of days gone by
                  D7          C
Make me laugh and make me cry
                D7           C
Break my female heart in two
                   F      C
Sing me songs that say “I love you”
G                              C
Lower your eyes and raise your hand up to your breast
F                         C       G      C
Sing me one about the sun setting in the west
Am            Abaug
Ooh ooh ooh,  ooh ooh

C   D7   C   D7  G   C  F  C  F C


[Chorus]
    G                            C
Oh, backs broke bending, digging holes to plant the seeds
    F                           C       G       C
The owners ate the cane and the workers ate the weeds
        G                     C
Put the wood in the stove and water in the cup
    F                       C    G        C
You worked so hard that you died standing up


[Chorus]
    G                            C
Oh, backs broke bending, digging holes to plant the seeds
    F                           C       G       C
The owners ate the cane and the workers ate the weeds
        G                     C
Put the wood in the stove and water in the cup
    F                       C    G        C   F C G F  C
You worked so hard that you died standing up