Friday night's pay night guys fresh out of work

Talking about the weekend scrubbing off the dirt

Some heading home to their families some looking to get hurt

Some going down to Stovell wearing trouble on their shirts



I work for the county out on 95

All day I hold a red flag and watch the traffic pass me by

In my head I keep a picture of a pretty little miss

Someday mister I'm gonna lead a better life than this



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



I met her at a dance down at 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



Working on the highway...



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 about 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

The prosecutor kept the promise that he made on that day

And the judge got mad and he put me straight away

I wake up every morning to the work bell clang

Me and the warden go swinging on the Charlotte County road gang



Working on the highway...