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 time 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 dad, Papa called me to his dying bed
Put his hands on my shoulders
Then, with a tear, he said
"Patches, I'm depending 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 dying bed
He said, "Patches, I'm depending on you, son
To pull the family though 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 13, I thought I was carrying
The weight of the whole world on my shoulders
But you know Mama, she knew what I was going through
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 a 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-tingling in my ears
Saying, "Patches, I'm depending on you, son
To pull the family through, my son
It's all left up to you
Patches, I'm depending on you my son, I'm depending on you my son
To pull the family through, my son, it's all left up to you."
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
I can see him with a shovel in his hand
See, education he never had
He did wonders when the time got bad
Barely paid the bills he made
So life had kicked him down to the ground
When he tried to get up
One dad, Papa called me to his dying bed
Put his hands on my shoulders
Then, with a tear, he said
To pull the family through my son
It's all left up to you."
And I became a man that day
So I told Mama I was gonna quit school
She said that was Daddy's strictest rule
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
With tears in his eyes on his dying bed
He said, "Patches, I'm depending on you, son
To pull the family though my son
It's all left up to you."
And at the age of 13, I thought I was carrying
The weight of the whole world on my shoulders
But you know Mama, she knew what I was going through
'Cause that's the only way we got our meals
You see, I was the oldest of a family
And everybody else depended on me
"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
My daddy's voice kept a-tingling in my ears
Saying, "Patches, I'm depending on you, son
To pull the family through, my son
It's all left up to you
To pull the family through, my son, it's all left up to you."
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hahah i love this song, it reminds me of my granpa and i love that man to death