I was born and down in Alabama On a farm way up in the woods I was so ragged that used to call me Patches Papa used to tease me it 'Cause deep down inside he was 'Cause he'd all he could
My papa was a old man I can see him with a in his hands, see he never had He did when the times got bad The little money from the crops he Barely the bills we made
For, life had him down to the ground he tried to get up Life would him back down One day Papa called me to his bed Put his hands on my And in his he said
He said, I'm on you, son To pull the through My son, all left up to you
Two days later passed away, and I became a man day So I told Mama I was gonna school, but She said that was Daddy's strictest
So every 'fore I went to school I fed the chickens and I wood too I felt that I couldn't go on I wanted to leave, just run away from But I would remember my daddy said With in his eyes on his dyin' 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 washed all the away And at the age of 13 I I was carryin' the of the world on my shoulders And you know, Mama I was goin' through, 'cause
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 night I heard my Mama Lord, him the strength to make another day
So years have and all the kids are grown The angels took Mama to a brand new Lord knows, people, I shedded But my daddy's voice kept me through the
Sing, Patches, I'm on you, son To pull the family My son, all left up to you
Oh, I can still hear 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, what he Patches, I'm on you, son To the family through My son, all left up to you