my aunt Jessie was cruel
Lord, she made me go to school
all the time
it was killing me
it was a crime
cause I could not be free
from the confines
of those chains

oh the river was deep
but the water looked sweet
oh my, my, my
I jumped right in
you know I tried
but I could not swim
thru the darkness or the pain

never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
never thought Id' breakaway from those chains
never thought Id' breakaway from those chains
never thought Id' breakaway from those chains
(short SLIDE SOLO)

so I headed for the hills
let the danger break my will
oh my, my
in a landslide
I was losing ground
and there was no one but myself to blame

never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
never thought I'd breakaway from those chains
noo, no, no, I'd breakaway from those chains
(SLIDE SOLO)

breakaway from those chains
breakaway from those chains
breakaway from those chains
breakaway from those chains
breakaway from those chains
breakaway from those chains