I was 11 months old, I was startin' to walk And daddy kept, a big stick behind the door Just in somebody was to come in was drunk on moonshine
You and daddy had to do something about it Anyway, this woman, we called her old Aunt She come in and she was mommy about her Uh, husband, she thinks is out with this woman in Paintsville
So she reared back with big stick Showing mommy how she was To hit this in the head with it And when she went back with it, she hit me in the
And Mommy said, I for 5 days And she said I, fifth night I had a great big knot show up in the middle of my forehead
And, you know, the thing I remember I dont remember no pain, but I just remember And daddy me in this old quilt That had made out of overhalls
The knots getting bigger and bigger And she me to the doctor And stuff called mesitor, something like that said it made both ears Flat to my face and I aint got very big
And them, Mommy That I that I was going to die And that like four times So I didnt till I was almost 5 It was, it was of a mess
Oh, I forgot the shoes Well, shoot, I hadnt, Id never had a of shoes And Mommy had went, me to the hospital You know, to see what was
If they couldnt do something, but they keep me Because and Daddy didnt have no money They just tell em to me home and let me die, you know Because there wasnt nothing they do about kind of disease, I guess
And, um, told daddy, says, Ted, you take her Down the street, you carry her the street" And said, Let me try store here And Mommy went in and told the story that I was dying
That she had to me twelve miles to town And twelve miles and that I had no shoes place, I think it was Murphys 5 and 10 And still there in Paintsville, Kentucky
And I that they told Mommy That they wasnt in business to give shoes Mommy told daddy, says, Loretta on down a little farther Said, And let me stop in store"
And Mommy went right back to the store When the guys back was turned she these little red shoes And I remember on the bridge that went across the river It went way up and was
Ive always been scared of bridge That me across the big Sandy River pulled them out from under That yellow that she was wearing
And she was putting red shoes on me And I thought was the prettiest things I ever saw in my life And started crying and I wondered why And he said, Clerie, not going to make it home
And mommy put the shoes on me and daddy off running And run all the way tButcher Holler with me And Mommy never had a chance to carry me any And almost twelve miles that daddy run with me
But daddy that the cops was going to get us He left Mommy and he took off in a dead run I remember him running but I didnt what for And I remember asking mommy, Mommy, why is running?
I remember her hollering, To put little red shoes away Honey, when you get home Can you believe So I wrote a song called Put My Red Shoes Away You know, theyre my red shoes And I want em to get to be dirty