Oh, I laid down your railroads, every mile of track   With the muscles on my arm and the sweat upon my back   And now the trains are rolling, they roll to every shore   You tell me that my job is through, there ain't no work no more      Though I laid down your highways all across the land   With the ringing of the steel and the power of my hands   And now the roads are there like ribbons in the sky   You tell me that my job is through but still I wonder why      For the wages were low and the hours were long   And the labor was all I could bear   Now you've got new machines for to take my place   And you tell me it's not mine to share      Though I laid down your factories and laid down your fields   With my feet on the ground and my back to your wheels   And now the smoke is rising, the steel is all a-glow   I'm walking down a jobless road and where am I to go      For the wages were low and the hours were long   And the labor was all I could bear   Now you've got new machines for to take my place   And you tell me it's not mine to share      Though I laid down your factories and laid down your fields   With my feet on the ground and my back to your wheels   And now the smoke is rising, the steel is all a-glow   I'm walking down a jobless road and where am I to go      Tell me, where am I to go