While we're on the subject of hard work, I just wanted

to say that I always was a man to work.



I was born working and I worked my way up by hard

work. I ain't never got nowhere yet but I got there by

hard work.



Work of the hardest kind. I been down and I been out

and I've been busted, disgusted and couldn't be trusted.



I worked my way up and I worked my way down. I've

been drunk and I've been sober. I've had hard times

and I got hijacked and been robbed for cash and robbed

on credit.



Worked my way into jail and outta jail and I woke up

a lotta mornings and I didn't even know where I was at.



But the hardest work I ever done is when I was trying

to get myself a worried woman to ease my worried

mind.



Now I'm gonna tell you just about how much hard

work I had to do to get this here woman that I'm a-tellin'

you about.



I shook hands with 97 of her kinfolks and her blood

relatives and I done the same with 86 people that was

just her friends and her neighbors.



Kissed 73 babies and put dry pants on 34 of 'em, as well

as others, and done the When thing several times, as well

as a lot of other things just about like this.



I held 125 head of wild horses, put saddles and bridles

on more than that, harnessed some of the craziest,

wildest teams in the whole country. I rode 14 loco

broncos to a dead standstill and let 42 hound dogs lick

me all over.



7 times I was bit by hungry dogs and I was chewed

all to pieces by water moccasins and rattlesnakes on

2 separate river bottoms.



I chopped and I carried 314 arm loads of stoved

wood; 100 buckets of coal, and I carried a gallon of