Hey, hee, hi, ho, pickin' cotton all day Hey, hee, hi, ho, just a-pickin' away White folks knows I'm workin' They knows gon' be no shirkin' Hee, hi, ho, I knows I'll get my pay Ain't no use kickin' 'cause I'll be pickin' Till all my children is grown Then I'll shuffle and skip and scuffle To have a field of my own All my life, I've been makin' it All my life, white folks takin' it This old heart, they's just breakin' it Ain't got a thing to show for what I done done But things get brighter; loads get lighter I'll keep a-pluckin' away Sing my song like I'm happy and gay All day Just tell the world for me: My soul's done set me free That's the song I'll sing till they put me under the clay [C] Oh, chil'en, stop your grumblin' Oh, that's a block for stumblin' Just keep on workin' and praisin' You'll see that you'll conquer someday Ain't no use kickin' 'cause I'll be pickin' Till all my children is grown Then I'll shuffle and skip and scuffle To have a field of my own All my life, I've been makin' it All my life, white folks takin' it This old heart, they's just breakin' it Ain't got a thing to show for what I done done But things get brighter; loads get lighter I'll keep a-pluckin' away Sing my song like I'm happy and gay All day Just tell the world for me: My soul's done set me free That's the song I'll sing till they put me under the clay Yay