Am                        G                   Am
I was sittin' beside the road in Black Jack County.
Am                         G                E
not knowing that that the Sheriff paid a bounty,
Am                   G           F                 Am
For men like me that didn't have a penny to their name.
Am                     G               Am       E          Am
So he locked my leg to 35 pounds of Black Jack County Chains.


Am               G                    Am
And all we had to eat was bread and water,
Am                        G                    E
And each day we built the road a mile and a quarter,
Am                            G                   F                   Am
A Black Snake Whip, would cut our back, when some poor Fool complained,
Am                     G                         Am       E          Am
But we couldn't fight back wearing 35 pounds of Black Jack County Chains.


Am                   G                Am
One night while the Sheriff was a sleeping,
Am               G                    E
we all gathered round him slowly creeping,
Am                     G                 F                      Am
and Heaven help me to forget that night in the cold cold rain,
Am                              G               Am       E          Am
when we beat him to death with 35 pounds of Black Jack County Chains.


Am                   G                Am
Now the whip marks are all healed and I'm thankful,
Am               G                    E
There's nothing but the scar around my ankle.
Am                     G                 F                      Am
But most of all I'm glad no man will be a slave again,
Am                     G               Am       E          Am
To a Black Snake Whip, and 35 pounds of Black Jack County Chain.
Am                     G               Am       E          Am
To a Black Snake Whip, and 35 pounds of Black Jack County Chain.