A rchive Date
[ 20-03-2005 ]
Category
[ Art & Literature ]
sub-Categoy
[ Mass Media ]
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Patches
by Clarence Carter
Produced by Rick Hall
Songwriter: Kocler Larry
Release Date: July 1970
I was born and raised down in Alabama, on a farm way back up in the woods
I was so ragged the folks used to call me Patches
Papa used to tease me about it 'Course deep down inside he was hurt 'cause he'd done all he could
My 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 we made
Oh 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 And in tears he said.
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.
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 depending on you son, I tried to do my best,
It's up to you to do the rest"
(Spoken:)
Then one day a strong rain came and washed all the crops away.
And at the age of thirteen I thought I was carrying the weight of the whole world on my shoulders.
And you know, mama knew what I was going through, 'cause
Everyday I had to work the fields, 'Cause that's the only way we got our meals.
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 make another day".
Though years have passed and all the kids are grown, the angels took mama to a brand new home.
Lord knows people, I shed a tear.
My daddy's voice helped me through the years, Sayin, "Patches, I'm depending on you son,
To pull the family through,. My son, it's all left up to you"
Oh, I could still hear papa's voice sayin' "Patches, I'm depending on you son,
I tried to do my best, It's up to you to do the rest".
I could still hear papa when he's sayin' "Patches, I'm depending on you son,
To pull the family through, My son, it's all left up to you"
(Fade)
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