Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell - Brown and Root lyrics

In the 1950s, brown & Root was the
Largest construction company
In the world a lot of
Poor sharecrop farm people
Running from the Great Depression
Got common labor
Jobs working for Brown & Root​ in the 1960s
Brown & Root diversified and built all
The infrastructure for the Vietnam War​
You don't hear about Brown &
Root anymore 'cause they got bought out by a
Bigger company called Halliburton​

Lord, I worked my hands in wet cement
For the county highway crew
I'm the middle boy from a family of ten
And poor sons-of-bitches were we
Pa was mean when he drank
And he always drank
And he never said three words to me

Lord, it's hell when you're down
Don't no one care
And it all looks like uphill down there
'Cause you work and you climb
And you smell like dirt
And you know you ain't going nowhere
At Brown & Root, Brown & Root

Lord, the rain would come
And the roof would leak
And the gas comp'ny cut off the heat
'Cause when it rains, you don't work
Which means, no pay
Which always means not much to eat
And there are too many ways to get beat
At Brown & Root, Brown & Root