Patches of Blue

i was born and raised down in alabama on a farm way back up in the woods

i was so ragged folks used to call me patches papa used to tease me about it cours deep down inside he was hurt cause he done all he could

My papa was a great old man
i can see him with a shouvel in his hand
see education he never had but
he did wonders when the times got bad
the little money from the crops he raised
barley paid the bills we made

oh life had kicked him down to the ground
when he tried to get up life would kick him back down

one day papa called me to his dying bed
put his hands on my shoulders and he said he said
he said Patches im depending on you son
to pull the family through
my son its all left up to you

two days later papa pased away and i became a man that day
so i told mama i was gonna quit school an she said that was daddys strictest rule

so every mornin befor i went to school
i fed the chickens and i choped wood too

sometimes i felt like i couldent go on i wanted to leave just run away from home
but i would remember what my daddy saidwith tears in his eyes on his dying bed

he said Patches im depending on you son
ive tried to do my best
its up to you to do the rest

then one day a strong rain came an washed all the crops away
an at the age of thirteen i felt like i was carring the weight of the whole world around on my shoulders
and you know mama knew what i was going through

cause everyday we had to work the fields thats the only way we got our meals
you see i was the oldest in the family an every body else depended on me
every night i heard my moma prey lord give him strength to make another day

though the years have passed
the kids are all gone
the angels took moma to a brand knew home
lord knows people ive shed some tears
my daddys voice kept pounding in my ears

saying patches im depending on you son ive tried to do my best
its up to you to do the rest

i can hear papa say patches im depending on you son to pull the family through my son its all left up to you
patches im depending on you son to pull the family through

end