There's an evenin' haze settlin' over town
Starlight by the edge of the creek
The buyin' power of the proletariat's gone down
Money's getting shallow and weak
Well the place I love best is a sweet memory
It's a new path that we trod
They say low wages are reality
If we want to compete abroad

My cruel weapons have been put on the shelf
Come sit down on my knee
You are dearer to me than myself
As you yourself can see
While I'm listenin' to the steel rails a'hum
Got both eyes tight shut
Just sittin' here trying to keep the hunger from
Creeping its way into my gut

Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind
Bring me my boots and shoes
You can hang back or fight your best on the front line
Sing a little bit of these workingman blues

Well, I'm sailin' on back
Gettin' ready for the long haul
I'm leaving everythin' behind
If I stay here I could lose it all
The bandits'll rob me blind
I'm tryin' to feed my soul with thought
I'm gonna sleep off the rest of the day
Sometime nobody want what you got
Sometime you can't give it away

I woke up this morning
And I sprung to my feet
And I went into town on a whim
I saw my father in the street
At least I think it was him
In the dark I hear a song bird call
You know the hills are rugged and steep
But I'll sleep in the kitchen with my feet in the hall
If I told you my whole story you'd weep

Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind
Bring me my boots and shoes
You can hang back or fight your best on the front line
Sing a little bit of these workingman blues

Well, they burned my barn, they stole my horse
I can't save a dime
It's a long way down, I don't want to be forced
Into a life of continual crime
I can see for myself that the sun is sinkin'
Over the deep blue sea
Tell me now, am I wrong in thinkin'
That you have forgotten me?

Now, they worry and they hurry
Tthey fuss and they fret
They waste your nights and days
Them I will forget
But you I'll remember always
It's a cold black night, and it's midsummer's eve
And the stars are spinnin' around
I'm still finding it so hard to believe
Someone would kick me when I'm down

Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind
Bring me my boots and shoes
You can hang back or fight your best on the front line
Sing a little bit of these workingman blues

I'll be back home in a month or two
When the frost is on the vine
I’m gonna punch my spear right straight through
Half-ways down his spine
Then I’ll lift my arms to the star-lit skies
And I’ll pray the fugitive prayer
I’m guessin' tomorrow the sun will rise
I hope the final end's been spared

Now the battle is over, up in the hills
And the mist is settlin' in
Look at me with all my spoils
What did I ever win?
I got a brand new suit and a brand new wife
I can live on rice and beans
Some people never work a day in their life
They don't know what work even means

Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind
Bring me my boots and shoes
You can hang back or fight your best on the front line
Sing a little bit of these workingman blues