The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Some birds' feathers are too bright to be caged
I know I'm not that colorful but a bird just the same
Open up your gate now, let me put down my load
So I can feel at ease and go back to my home
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Sun beatin' down, my legs can't seem to stand
There's a boss man at a turnrow with a rifle in his hand
I've got nine children, nothin' in the pan
My wife she died hungry while I was plowin' land
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Can't see when I go to work, can't see when I get off
How do you expect a man not to get lost
Every year I just keep getting deeper in debt
If there's a happy day, Lord, I haven't seen one yet
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Land that I love is the land that I'm workin'
But it's hard to love it all the time when your back is a-hurtin'
Gettin' too old now to push this here plow
Please let me lay down so I can look at the clouds
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Land that I know is where two rivers collide
The Brazos the Navaho and the big blue sky
Flood plains, freight trains, watermelon vines
Of any place on God's green earth, this is where I choose to die
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Some birds' feathers are too bright to be caged
I know I'm not that colorful but a bird just the same
Open up your gate now, let me put down my load
So I can feel at ease and go back to my home
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Sun beatin' down, my legs can't seem to stand
There's a boss man at a turnrow with a rifle in his hand
I've got nine children, nothin' in the pan
My wife she died hungry while I was plowin' land
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Can't see when I go to work, can't see when I get off
How do you expect a man not to get lost
Every year I just keep getting deeper in debt
If there's a happy day, Lord, I haven't seen one yet
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Land that I love is the land that I'm workin'
But it's hard to love it all the time when your back is a-hurtin'
Gettin' too old now to push this here plow
Please let me lay down so I can look at the clouds
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
Land that I know is where two rivers collide
The Brazos the Navaho and the big blue sky
Flood plains, freight trains, watermelon vines
Of any place on God's green earth, this is where I choose to die
Take 'em away, take 'em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken 'cause my spirit's not free
Lord take away these chains from me
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One of the cool things about this song is that it's vague enough that it could be either a poor white farmer or a black slave or sharecropper. It applies to all the beaten-down Southern workers.
@Illogical_Toaster I would also add that there is a correctional facility in grimes county in this region between the Brazos and Navasota River. It specializes in manual labor of the farm land. So it could even be a modern story but from the point of view of an prisoner.