Chain Gang is a 1960 R n' B song by Sam Cooke.
It is heard on MWC in the season 10 finale, "The Joke's on Al"
Background[]
The song's lyrics depict the life of prisoners working outside on a chain gang, a term used to describe a form of punishment where prisoners' are chained together while doing physical labor in the sun.
The lyrics were inspired by a chance encounter that Cooke had with a chain gang while on tour in Georgia in 1959. Cooke and his brother greeted some of the prisoners' and gave them cartons of cigarettes before returning to his tour bus.
Appearance on MWC[]
In the season 10 finale, "The Joke's on Al", the chorus of the song is heard as a depressed Griff is shown sitting in a jail cell and saying that he didn't eat anyone. This was due to the members of NO MA'AM playing a prank on him for his 1 year anniversary in the group and got him arrested as "The Chicago Cannibal". Officer Dan, who was in charge of Griff's arrest, accidentally forgets to let the jailers know about the prank, leaving Griff to be tried and convicted of cannibalism and was just minutes from being executed by the electric chair.
Lyrics[]
(Hoh! Ah!)
I hear something saying (Hoh! Ah!)
(Hoh! Ah!)
(Well don't you know)
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
All day long they're singing (Hoh! Ah!)
(Well don't you know)
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
All day long they work so hard till the sun is going down
Working on the highways and byways and wearing, wearing a frown
You hear they moaning their lives away
Then you hear somebody say
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
Can't you hear them singing, mmm (Hoh! Ah!)
I'm going home one of these days
I'm going home, see my woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I gotta work right here
(Well don't you know)
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
All day long they're singing, mmm (Hoh! Ah!)
My work is so hard
Give me water
I'm thirsty, my work is so hard
Woah ooo
My work is so hard