ONEY
(Jerry Chestnut)
Johnny Cash - 1972


SPOKEN INTRO:
I dedicate this song to the workin' man....For every man that
puts in a hard eight or ten hours a day of work and toil and 
sweat....Always got somebody lookin' down his neck....Tryin' to 
get more out of 'im than he really ought to have to put in.....

After twenty-nine long years of workin'
In this shop with Oney standin' over me
Today when that old whistle blows
I'll check in all my gear and I'll retire

The superintendent just dropped by and said
They'd planned my little get together
Then he said I'd never a-made it
If old Oney hadn't held me to the fire

I've seen him in my dreams at night
And woke up in the mornin' feelin' tired
And old Oney don't remember, when I came here
How he tried to get me fired

With his folded hands behind him
Every mornin' Oney waited at the gate 
Where he'd rant and rave like I committed murder
Clockin' in five minutes late

But today they'll gather 'round me
Like I've seen 'em do when any man retires 
Then old Oney's gonna tell me
From now on I'm free to do what I desire 

He'll present me with that little old gold watch
They give a man at times like this
But there's one thing he's not countin' on
Today's the day I give old Oney his.

I've been workin', buildin' muscles
Oney's just been standin' 'round and gettin' soft
And today about four-thirty
I'll make up for every good night's sleep I've lost

When I'm gone I'll be remembered
As the workin' man who put his point across
With a right hand full of knuckles
'Cause today I show old Oney who's the boss.

SPOKEN:
Hmmmm! What time is it? 
Four thirty! 
Hey, Oney! Oney! 
Ha ha ha ha!



(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - 2002)