I was and raised down in Alabama On a farm way up in the woods I was so ragged that folks to call me Patches used to tease me about it Cause deep down inside he was Cause he'd done all he
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 money from the crops he raised Barely paid the bills we
For, life had him down to the ground When he to get up Life would kick him down One day Papa called me to his bed Put his hands on my 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 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 mornin' 'fore I to school I fed the chickens and I chopped too Sometimes I felt that I go on I wanted to leave, just run from home But I would remember what my said tears in his eyes on his dyin' bed
He said, I'm on you, son I to do my best up to you to do the rest
Then one day a rain came And washed all the away And at the age of 13 I I was the weight of the Whole world on my And you know, Mama I was goin' through, 'cause
Every day I had to work the Cause that's the way we got our meals You see, I was the oldest of the And else depended on me Every night I heard my pray Lord, give him the to face another day
So years have passed and all the are grown The angels took to a brand new home knows, people, I shedded tears But my daddy's 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 still Papa's voice sayin' Patches, I'm on you, son tried to do my best It's up to you to do the
I can still hear Papa, he said