Toil

Upon this lowly railroad spike my hammer swung and fell. Down the mighty Mississipp,' where the raging waters swell. In the corner of that factory, a dark man-made hell
I'll be sitting there in my snare making what they sell
With a silver spoon breaking my teeth, the boys on the line working just to eat. Are you picturing the stories that I sing?
A child working day and night
A father turned into a ghostly sight
The wage slave knows so well that hopeless strain
Of a poor man just trying to remain
As he pays his toll of pain

From the dear old age of Adam to the workers of Boaz
We've been doomed to sing this crazy song, yet it's made me who I am
From the steel workers in Pittsburgh, to the trucker and his load
All feeding that old fat cat just hoping he'll explode

With a silver spoon breaking my teeth
The boys on the line working just to eat, are you picturing the stories that I sing?
A child working day and night
A father turned into a ghostly sight
The wage slave knows so well that hopeless strain
Of a poor man trying to remain
As he pays his toll of pain

We've been working for far too long
We've been doomed to hear this lowly song for our sons
Our sweat must be working just to fall
I'm a slave to that whistle call
I'm a slave to that whistle call

From the dear old age of Adam to the workers of Boaz
We've been doomed to sing this crazy song, yet it's made me who I am
From the steel workers in Pittsburgh, to the trucker and his load
All feeding that old fat cat just hoping he'll explode

With a silver spoon breaking my teeth, the boys on the line working just to eat, are you picturing the stories that I sing?
A child working day and night
A father turned into a ghostly sight
The wage slave knows so well that hopeless strain
Of a poor man trying to remain
As he pays his toll of pain

As he pays his toll of pain
We've been working for far too long
We've been doomed to hear this crazy song for our sons
Our sweat must be working just to fall
I'm a slave to that whistle call
I'm a slave to that whistle call. I'm a slave