The Government Road
Words by Woody Guthrie, Music by Del McCoury
Contact Publisher - TRO-Essex Music Group

I'm a walkin down that buffalo trail
Gonna build a gover’ment road
Twenty one years I been in jail
Gonna build a gover’ment road

Build a gover’ment road, love,
Build a gover’ment road
Plowin’ down my buffalo trail
Gonna build a gover’ment road.

Buffalo trail's just sticks and stone,
Build a gover’ment road
It'll all be paved when I get done
Build a gover’ment road.

Gonna grab a shovel in my hand
Build a gover’ment road
Gonna hire up ever’ man I can
Build a gover’ment road.

Tractors, plows, an’ engines too,
Build a gover’ment road
All be a workin’ when I get through
Build a gover’ment road.

What’cha gonna do when y’r rent comes due?
Build a gover’ment road
Then we'll build a railroad, too,
Build a gover’ment road.

Who's a gonna travel down my way?
Build a gover’ment road.
Why, brothers and sisters every day.
Build a gover’ment road.

Where's this road a gonna lead?
Build a gover’ment road?
To a job of work and a mighty good feed,
Build a gover’ment road.

What we gonna do when we git to th’ end?
Build a gover’ment road.
Well, brother, we’ll start right over agin’
An’ build more gover’ment road.


© Copyright Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. / TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc. & McCoury Music (BMI)
Available on:

Del And Woody
The Del McCoury Band