I was born and raised down in On a farm way up in the woods Oh, I was so ragged, folks call me Patches used to tease me about it But down inside dad was hurtin' 'Cause he done the he could do
My was a great old man I can see him with a shovel in his daddy never had But he did when the times got bad The little money the crops we raised Barely paid the we made
Oh, put him down to the ground When he tried to get up, life would kick him back On the day called me to his dying bed Placed his on my shoulders and in tears he said
"Patches, I'm on you son To pull the family through, my son, all left up to you"
Two days papa passed away And I became a man day So, I had to work the fields 'Cause the only way we got our meals See, I was the oldest of the And everybody was on me
Now, years passed, everybody's grown Mama's living in a brand new home knows it took a lot of sweat and tears And my voice helped that us through the years
He said, "Patches, I'm on you son To pull the family through, my son, it's all up to you"
Daddy had been sick for a long time, on his back Every after we'd finished our chores and eat our dinner all go into papa's room to cheer him up a little And particular day, Dad was in good spirits Sitting on the side of the bed telling mama how good she all of a sudden papa had a pain in his chest
I was too young to understand, talking about a heart here Mama rushed all of us out of the into the hallway About ten minutes later she came out with tears in her She out to me "Patches, patches get in boy you're Daddy want to see you" I went running to papa's room there papa lay
Daddy had tears in his eyes, I knew was wrong 'Cause Daddy was a poor man but all of my life he'd a proud man I knelt on one knee beside the bed Papa put his on my shoulder He said, "Patches, Patches boy, the hammer of life beat Your old papa down to the ground and I ain't got To to take care of mama and the young ones"
"So, I want you to do is promise me son Is that you're gonna do your best to help your As much as you can", I said, "Papa I'm do my best" But little did I then like I know right now That to climb life's mountain for a top when there ain't no top
Sometimes you yourself frustrated, lazy But every time I feel I can't live my life like I want to My goes back to that day When I see those tears in my eyes But most of all I his words "Patches, I'm on you boy"
time I feel like giving up I hear his voice "Patches, Patches, Patches, Patches"
"I'm on you son I to do my best, it's up you to do the rest"
"Patches, I'm on you son I've tried to do my best, up you to do the rest"
"Patches, I'm on you son To pull the family through, my son, it's all up to you"