When Tom Watson was a little baby
sittin' on his daddy's knee,
he picked up a hammer and a little piece of wood
said wood'll be the death of me
Lord, Lord
this wood'll be the death of me.
When Tom Watson's fam'ly needed money
said they didn't have but a dime,
"If you wait til my shop is warmed up
I'll get it from the hermans in town
Lord, Lord
I'll get it from the hermans in town."
So Tom Watson made a few cabinets
made 'em right square and fine,
and the hermans came round and give him their dough
he said I'ma gonna get mine
Lord, Lord
I'm gonna get a whole lot of coin.
But the big boss said to Tom Watson
we got us a Felder shop here.
Gonna bring us that Felder out on the job,
gonna whup those cabinets on down
Lord, Lord
gonna fire them boxes on down.
Well Tom Watson he said to the captain
oh a man ain't nothin' but a man
before I let that Felder beat me down
I'm gonna die with a Delta in my hand
Lord, Lord
gonna die with that Delta in my hand.
Well his shop man said to Tom Watson
I do believe the walls are cavin' in
Tom Watson said to his shop man, oh Lord,
it's only my Penn State drawin' dust
Lord, Lord
it's only my Penn State suckin' wind
Well the man who invented the Felder
thought he was mighty fine
Tom Watson sawed up 15 feet
and the Felder only did nine
Lord, Lord
the Felder only did nine.
Well Tom Watson sawed into the evenin'
Lie Valley was strikin' fire
he planed so hard he broke his poor heart
and he laid down his Starrett and he died
Lord, Lord
he laid down his Starrett and he died.
Well Tom Watson had a little woman
and her name was Polly Ann
she walked down the track, never looked back
Polly sawed wood like a man
Lord, Lord
Polly Ann sawed wood like a man.
The people took Tom Watson to the woodshop
and laid his body in the sand
And ev'ry wooddorker came weepin' by
sayin' there lies a wood workin' man
Lord, Lord
Yes there lies a wood workin' man.
Yes, there lies a wood workin' man
Lord, Lord
There lies a wood workin' man
Yeah there lies a wood workin' man
Lord God
there lies a wood workin' ma-ha-ha-haaaaaaan.