Patches

I was born and raised
down in Alabama

On a farm way back
up in the woods
I was so ragged that
folks used to call me
Patches
Papa used to tease me
about it, 'cause deep
down inside he was
hurt 'cause he'd done
all he could
My papa was a
great old man
I can see him with a
shovel in his hands See
education he never had

But he did wonders
when the time got bad
The little money from the
crops he raised barely
paid the bills we made For
life had kicked him down to
the ground When he tried
to get up
Life would kick him back
down One day Papa called
me to his

Dyin' bed, put his hands
on my shoulders and in
his tears he said

He said, Patches I'm
dependin' on you son to
pull the family through
My son it's all left
up to you

Two days later Papa
passed away and I became
a man that day

So I told Mama I was
gonna quit school, but
she said that was Daddy's
strictest rule
So ev'ry mornin' 'fore
I went to school
I fed the chickens and I
chopped wood too
Sometimes I felt that I
couldn't go on
I wanted to leave, just
run away from home
But I would remember
what my daddy said
With tears in his eyes
on his dyin' bed
He said, Patches I'm
dependin' on you son
I tried to do my best
it's up to you to do
the rest

But then one day a strong
rain came and washed all
the crops away
And at the age of
thirteen I thought I was
carryin' the weight of the
whole world on my
shoulders And you know
Mama knew what I was
goin' through
ÔCause
Ev'ry day I had to work
the fields

'Cause that's the only
way we got our meals
You see, I was the oldest
of the family
And ev'rybody else
depended on me
Ev'ry night I heard my
Mama pray Lord, give him
the strength to face
another day So years have
passed and all the kids
are grown
The angels took Mama
to a brand new home Lord
knows people

I shedded tears but my
daddy's voice kept me
through the years Saying
Patches
I'm dependin' on you,
son to pull the family
through
My son, it's all left up
to you

I can still hear
Papa's voice sayin'
Patches,
I'm dependin' on you, son
I've tried to do my best
It's up to you to do
the rest

I can still hear Papa
What he said
Patches,
I'm dependin' on you, son
I've tried to do my best