Tom T. Hall - Shackles and Chains

In 1982, Tom T. Hall and Earl Scruggs collaborated on a bluegrass album recorded on the Columbia label. The album titled, "The Storyteller and The Banjo Man", featured some new material written by Hall, as well as this classic, "Shackles and Chains". Original lyrics below.
Vocals: Tom T. Hall
Banjo: Earl Scruggs
Words & Music: Jimmy Davis
On a long lonesome Journey I'm going
Oh darling, and please don't you cry
Though in shackles and chains they will take me
In prison to stay till I die
And at night through the bars
I gaze at the stars
And I long for your kisses in vain
A piece of stone I will use for my pillow
While I'm sleeping in shackles and chains
Put your arms thru these bars once, my darlin'
Let me kiss those sweet lips that I love best
In heartache you're my consolation
In sorrow my haven of rest
And at night through the bars
I will gaze at the stars
The plans that we made were in vain
A piece of stone I will use as my pillow
While I'm sleeping in shackles and chains
©1949 Peer International Corp.

[@1978garfield]

Tom is such a good songwriter people forget he is an amazing performer too. Thanks for sharing this.

[@gerardlarkinhaverstock5153]

Mr.Tom Tom.Hall is one of the fined country gentleman and a great songwriter singer.

[@hugehandshans7724]

Singer songwriter

[@old5andimer713]

A classic song performed by an equally classic vocalist ..

[@jayjaynella4539]

My favorite version of this song, followed by Hag's and Arlo Guthrie's versions

[@DHYale]

Mr. Tom T. Hall puts every ounce of his heart and soul into His great presentation of this timeless classic. ManyThanks!!

[@budglass1771]

i have heard this song by a lot of people ,but tom t hall is the best thanks for posting it

[@DHYale]

This is what country music is all about - Pure and from the Heart. None Greater than the Great Tom T. Hall. RIP

[@StevenSpolar]

Don't count Tom T. out yet - he's still among the living and will turn 84 years old this May 25th.

[@Bascomblodge]

JImmy Davis, the writer of this song, was govenor of Louisiana and also wrote "You Are My Sunshine". T and Earl do it great.

[@jonsmith7667]

Paul Rice wrote "you are my sunshine" in and sold the rights to Jimmy Davis and Charles Mitchel

[@Bascomblodge]

@@jonsmith7667 Scott, thank you for your correction. From what I found after your correction is that authorship is a bit unclear, but thanks for correcting what I thought I always knew:~) While Davis and Mitchell are the credited songwriters of "You Are My Sunshine", Davis was never known actually to claim authorship, as he bought the song and rights from Paul Rice and put his own name on it, a practice not uncommon in the pre-World War II music business,[10] though some early versions of the song credit it to the Rice Brothers. Descendants and associates of Oliver Hood, a LaGrange, Georgia, musician who collaborated with Rice, state that Hood wrote the song in the early 1930s and first performed it at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention at LaGrange, Georgia, in 1933.[(wikipedia)

[@jonsmith7667]

@@Bascomblodge No worries, the only reason I thunk what I did is that was the first song I learned on guitar and that was the name in the old songbook my teacher had

[@Bascomblodge]

@@jonsmith7667 You were an attentive student!

[@ronaldgrimes6924]

I love that song and could lie and listen to it for hours I believe. thanks Steven for a great one. Ron

[@hugehandshans7724]

Ronald Grimes YES

[@grimch9865]

Just learned today that Tom was from the same little town in Kentucky as my family, shout out Olive Hill pop. 1500

[@BardHolohan]

Love this song and the way he Tom delivers the words ❤

[@MrWadsox]

Thanks Steven. This guy is one of only a handful of c&w artists that I will listen to.

[@thewinner6752]

RIP The Storyteller.

[@Raven55Rebel]

Great song, I've got this album. Thanks for sharing!

[@alfredthibeault4342]

I love all is songs.

[@lowellmorse6723]

Like a George Jones tune.....sung..done.

[@IanKWatts]

This is tops. Thanks very much for the upload.

[@allansouthern7332]

MR TOM T HALL AT HIS BEST LOVE IT

[@johnmackenzie8573]

Once again Tom T has the definitive version 👌

[@jayjaynella4539]

I have heard several version of this. I agree Tom's version is the best.

[@awsomeness573]

Great tune

[@steveroberts8719]

Jimmie Davis, the writer of this song, was the governor of Oklahoma at the time. He was a racist, a staunch segregationist, a defender of Jim Crow laws in his state (not exactly the Deep South). I guess you could say he was a walking contradiction for he also wrote "You are m Sunshine" which everyone knows. Only in America.

[@ragtopz6]

No, he was the governor of Louisana

[@geoffg6867]

Side ways come to me for these cell bars are hell

[@lornebain3831]

Still works...

[@jeweldotson3891]

Good version of this great song that has been recorded by many great artist, including Mac Wiseman Top Paul Glaser & Marty Robbins.

[@hillbilliejo]

❤

[@collette333]

GREAT RENDITION..THANK YOU

[@philgiesbrecht]

Love it, who's Norman Wade ? ? ? ? ?

[@stepfather09]

Good job but Norman wade does it better but tom t does good ///

[@charlesbennett2626]

y'all must not have heard Mac Wisemann sing it in my opinion his is the best