[Verse 1]
I was sitting beside the road in Blackjack County
Not knowing that the sheriff paid a bounty
For men like me who didn't have a penny to their names

[Refrain]
So he locked my leg to thirty-five pounds of Blackjack County chains

[Verse 2]
All we had to eat was bread and water
And each day we had to build that road a mile and a quarter
And a blacksnake whip would cut our backs when some poor fool complained

[Refrain]
But we couldn't fight back wearing thirty-five pounds of Blackjack County chains

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 3]
And then one night while the sheriff was a sleeping
We all gathered 'round him slowly creeping
And heaven help me to forget that night in the cold cold rain

[Refrain]
When we beat him to death with the thirty-five pounds of Blackjack County chains