Patches

I was born and raised down in Alabama

On a farm way back up in the woods

I was so ragged that folks used to call me Patches

Papa used to tease me about it

Of course deep down inside he was hurt

'Cause he done all he could

Papa was a great old man

I can see him with a shovel in his hand

See, education he never had

He did wonders when the times got bad

The little money from the crops he raised

Barely paid the bills he made

So 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 dyin' bed

Put his hands on my shoulders

Then with a tears he said

Patches, I'm dependin' on you son

To pull the family through

My son, it's all left up to you

Two days later papa passed away

And I became a man that day

So I told mama I was gonna quit school

She said that was daddy's strictest rule

So every morning 'fore I went to school

I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too

Sometimes I felt that I couldn't go on

I wanted to leave just run away from home

But I always remembered what my daddy said

With tears in his eyes on his dyin' bed

He said, Patches, I'm dependin' on you son

To pull the family through

My son, it's all left up to you

Then one day a strong rain came

And washed all the crops away

And at the age of thirteen I thought I was carryin'

The weight of the whole world on my shoulders

But you know, mama she knew what I was going through

Everyday I had to work the fields

'Cause that's the only way we got our meals

You see, I was the oldest of the family

And everybody else depended on me

Every night I heard my mama pray

Lord, give him the strength to make another day

Though years have passed and all the kids are grown

And angels took my mama to a brand new home

Lord knows people that I shed a tear

My daddy's voice kept a-ringin' in my ears

Sayin', Patches, I'm dependin' on you son

To pull the family through

My son, it's all left up to you

Patches, I'm dependin' on you son

To pull the family through

My son, it's all left up to you