I was and raised down in Alabama On a farm way up in the woods I was so that folks used to call me Patches Papa used to tease me it Cause down inside he was hurt he'd done all he could
My was a great old man I can see him a shovel in his hands, see he never had He did when the times got bad The money from the crops he raised Barely paid the we made
For, had kick him down to the ground he tried to get up Life would kick him down One day Papa called me to his bed Put his on my shoulders And in his tears he
He said, I'm on you, son To pull the family My son, it's all up to you
Two days later Papa away, and I became a man day So I told I was gonna quit school, but She that was Daddy's strictest rule
So every mornin' 'fore I to school I fed the chickens and I wood too Sometimes I that I couldn't go on I wanted to leave, just run away home But I would remember what my daddy With tears in his eyes on his bed
He said, I'm on you, son I to do my best It's up to you to do the
Then one day a rain came And all the crops away And at the age of 13 I I was carryin' the of the Whole world on my And you know, Mama What I was goin' through,
Every day I had to the fields Cause the only way we got our meals You see, I was the oldest of the And everybody else on me Every I heard my Mama pray Lord, give him the strength to another day
So years passed and all the kids are grown The angels Mama to a brand new home Lord knows, people, I tears But my daddy's voice kept me the years
Sing, Patches, I'm on you, son To pull the family My son, all left up to you
Oh, I can still hear Papa's sayin' Patches, I'm on you, son I've tried to do my up to you to do the rest
I can hear Papa, what he said