The Work Song
Read The Work Song lyrics by Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
The Work Song
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
Back before the blues were blue
When the good ol' songs were new
Songs that may no longer please us
'Bout the darkies, about Jesus
Mississippi minstrels color of molasses
Strummed their banjos to entertain their massas
Some said garbage, others cried art
You couldn't call it soul, you had to call it heart
Backs broke bending digging holes to plant the seeds
The owners ate the cane and the workers ate the weeds
Put the wood in the stove, the water in the cup
You worked so hard that you died standing up
When I was a little thing
Papa tried to make me sing
Home Sweet Home and Aura Lee
These were songs that my daddy tought me
Camptown Races and Susannah Don't You Cry
Gentle Annie still brings a tear to my eye
Label it garbage, label it art
You couldn't call it soul, you had to call it heart
Backs broke bending digging holes to plant the seeds
The owners ate the cane and the workers ate the weeds
Put the wood in the stove, the water in the cup
You worked so hard that you died standing up
Sing me songs of days gone by
Make me laugh, make me cry
Break my female heart in two
Sing me songs that say "I love you"
Lower your eyes, raise your hand to your breast
Sing me one about the sun setting in the west
Backs broke bending digging holes to plant the seeds
The owners ate the cane and the workers ate the weeds
Put the wood in the stove, the water in the cup
You worked so hard that you died standing up
Wood's in the stove, water's in the cup
You worked so hard that you died standing up
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "The Work Song"?
Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle performs "The Work Song", and this lyric page sits inside the Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "The Work Song"?
Yes. The related section below points to EXCURSION à VENISE and Hurle Le Vent with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle's lyric pages.
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
What people are saying
No listener comments on The Work Song yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.