By Bill Anderson



Dedication: To Whispering Bill Anderson and a friendship I value as much as any other because of his talent and also his inspiration. To Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Porter Wagoner, Ernest Tub, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins and Lefty Frizzell for singing prison songs when I was still a prisoner.



WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY DADDY USED TO SAY TO ME, SON,



WE GOT A LOT OF LAND, WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE



GO GET YOUR MARBLES, PUT'EM IN THE HOUSE



TEAR DOWN YOUR CASTLES IN THE SAND



COME WITH YOUR POPPY TO THE COTTON PATCH



GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS







GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS, SON



IF YOUR GONNA GROW UP TO BE A BIG BIG MAN



A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS







WELL I REACHED TWENTY ONE AND I THOUGHT I WAS A PRETTY BIG WHEEL



I LEFT THE COUNTRY FOR THE CITY, MET A SLICKER WITH A SHADY DEAL



HE SAID HOLD UP THE BANK BOY AND TAKE ALL THE MONEY



AND RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN



THE ONLY WAY YOU'LL EVER GET ALONG IN THIS WORLD



IS TO GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS



GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS







WELL ITS FOUR IN THE MORNING' AND THE WARDEN IS CALLING' MY NAME



HE SAID HE'S TEACHING' ME A LESSON NOW HE'S MAKING' ME GO WORK IN THE RAIN



DIG THAT DITCH BOY FILL IT UP



IM WANTING' YOU TO UNDERSTAND



THE ONLY WAY TO STRAIGHTEN OUT A GUY LIKE YOU



IS TO GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS



GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS







HEY DAVID GOT TO GET A LITTLE DIRT ON THOSE HANDS BOY



YEAH IF YOU WANT TO GROW UP TO BE A BIG BIG MAN



YOU BETTER REMEMBER WHAT OLD WHISPERING BILL TOLD YOU IN THIS SONG-a