I was born and raised in Alabama On a farm way up in the woods I was so ragged that folks to call me Patches Papa to tease me about it Cause deep inside he was hurt Cause he'd all he could
My was a great old man I can see him a shovel in his hands, see he never had He did wonders the times got bad The little from the crops he raised Barely paid the bills we
For, life had him down to the ground he tried to get up Life would him back down One day called me to his dyin' bed Put his on my shoulders And in his he said
He said, I'm on you, son To pull the family My son, it's all up to you
Two days Papa passed away, and I a man that day So I told I was gonna quit school, but She said was Daddy's strictest rule
So every 'fore I went to school I fed the chickens and I chopped too Sometimes I felt I couldn't go on I to leave, just run away from home But I would remember what my daddy With tears in his eyes on his bed
He said, I'm on you, son I tried to do my It's up to you to do the
Then one day a rain came And washed all the away And at the age of 13 I I was carryin' the of the Whole on my shoulders And you know, knew What I was through, 'cause
Every day I had to the fields that's the only way we got our meals You see, I was the oldest of the And else depended on me Every night I heard my Mama Lord, him the strength to face another day
So years have passed and all the are grown The angels took Mama to a new home Lord knows, people, I tears But my voice kept me through the years
Sing, Patches, I'm on you, son To the family through My son, it's all up to you
Oh, I can hear Papa's voice sayin' Patches, I'm on you, son I've tried to do my It's up to you to do the
I can still hear Papa, what he