G

[Chorus]
G              C
 Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
G                D
 Take away these chains from me
G                           C
 My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
G                      D           G
 Lord, take away these chains from me

[Verse 1]
G                          C
Some bird feathers are too bright to be caged
  G                                D
I know I'm not that colorful but a bird just the same
G                            C
Open up your gate now let me put down my load
   G                         D          G
So I can feel at ease and go back to my home

[Chorus]
G              C
 Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
G                D
 Take away these chains from me
G                           C
 My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
G                      D           G
 Lord, take away these chains from me

[Verse 2]
G                         C
Sun beatin' down my legs can't seem to stand
          G                            D
There's a boss man at a turnrow with a rifle in his hand
G                        C
 I've got nine children, nothin' in the pan
   G                          D             G
My wife she died hungry while I was plowin' land

[Chorus]
G              C
 Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
G                D
 Take away these chains from me
G                           C
 My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
G                      D           G
 Lord, take away these chains from me

[Instrumental]
C  G  D  G  C  G  D  G

[Verse 3]
G                                  C
Can't see when I go to work, can't see when I get off
G                        D
 How do you expect a man not to get lost
G                              C                       
Every year I just keep getting deeper in debt
   G                            D                G
If there's a happy day, Lord, I haven't seen one yet

[Chorus]
G              C
 Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
G                D
 Take away these chains from me
G                           C
 My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
G                      D           G
 Lord, take away these chains from me

[Verse 4]
G                       C
Land that I love is the land that I'm workin'
        G                                       D
But it's hard to love it all the time when your back is a-hurtin'
G                       C                   
 Gettin' too old now to push this here plow
G                              D             G
 Please let me lay down so I can look at the clouds

[Chorus]
G              C
 Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
G                D
 Take away these chains from me
G                           C
 My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
G                      D           G
 Lord, take away these chains from me

[Instrumental]
C  G  D  G  C  G  D  G

[Verse 5]
G                                 C
The land that I know is where two rivers collide
    G                          D
The Brazos, the Navaso and the big blue sky
G                             C
Flood plains, freight trains, watermelon vines 
       G                                   D                 G
Of any place on God’s green earth, this is where I choose to die 

[Chorus]
G              C
 Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
G                D
 Take away these chains from me
G                           C
 My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
G                      D           G
 Lord, take away these chains from me