[Verse 1]
Friday night's pay night, guys fresh outta work
Yeah we'll be talking 'bout the weekend, scrubbing off the dirt
Some heading home to their families, some looking to get hurt
Some going down to the Stovall wearing trouble on their shirts
Well I work for the county out on old I-5
All day long I hold a red flag and watch the traffic pass me by
In my head I keep a picture of my pretty little miss
Someday, mister, I'm gonna lead a better life than this

[Chorus]
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway

[Verse 2]
Well I met her at a dance down the union hall
She was standing with her brothers back up against the wall
Sometimes we'd go walking down the union tracks
One day I looked straight at her and she looked straight back

[Chorus]
So I'm working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
The highway, yes
[Verse 3]
Well I saved up my money and I put it all away
I went to see her daddy but we didn't have much to say
"Son, can't you see that she's just a little girl?
She don't know nothing 'bout this cruel, cruel world"
We lit out down to Florida, we got along all right
One day her brothers came and got her and they took me in a black-and-white, yes
Prosecutor kept the promise that he made on that day
And the judge got mad and he put me straight away
So now I wake up every morning to the work bell clang
Me an' the warden go swingin' on the Charlotte County road gang

[Chorus]
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway, yes
The highway