I was born and raised down in Alabama

On a farm way back up in the woods

I was so raggedy, folks used call me, “Patches”

Papa used to tease me ‘bout it

Of course deep down inside he was hurt

‘Cause he’d done all he could



My papa was a great ol’ man

I can see him with a shovel in his hand

See, education he never had

But he did wonders when the time got bad

The little money from the crops he raised

Barely paid the bills we made



Oh, life it 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 and in tears he said



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

But 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 would remember what my daddy said

With tears in his eyes on his dyin’ bed



He said, “Patches

I’m dependin’ on you, son

I tried to do my best

It’s up to you to do the rest”



But then one day a strong rain came

And washed all the crops away

And at the age of 13

I thought I was carryin’ the weight of the whole world on my shoulders

And you know mama knew what I was going through



‘Cause every day 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 strength to face another day



4 years have passed and all the kids have grown

The angels took mama to a brand new home

God knows people, I shed tears

But my daddy’s voice kept me through the years



Sayin’, “Patches

I’m dependin’ on you, son

To pull the family through

My son, it’s all left up to you”



I can still hear papa when he said, “Patches

I’m dependin’ on you, son

I tried to do my best

It’s up to you to do the rest”



I can still hear papa when he said, “Patches

I’m dependin’ on you, son

To pull the family through