It's the workin' man I am And I've been down underground And I swear to God if I ever see the sun Or for any length of time I can hold it in my mind I never again will go down underground ♪ At the age of sixteen years Oh, he quarrels with his peers Who vowed they'd never see another one In the dark recess of the mines Where you age before your time And the coal dust lies heavy on your lungs It's the workin' man I am And I've been down underground And I swear to God if I ever see the sun Or for any length of time I can hold it in my mind I never again will go down underground At the age of sixty-four Oh, he'll greet you at the door And he'll gently lead you by the arm Through the dark recess of the mines Oh, he'll take you back in time And he'll tell you all the hardships that were had It's the workin' man I am And I've been down underground And I swear to God if I ever see the sun Or for any length of time I can hold it in my mind I never again will go down underground It's the workin' man I am And I've been down underground And I swear to God if I ever see the sun (see the sun) Or for any length of time (any length of time) I can hold it in my mind (in my mind) I never again will go down underground