歌词
I asked mama many times
What kept papa so far behind
What in the world was holding my daddy down
Papa always dropped his head
Lord he seemed so afraid
Like he was carrying a heavy burden all the time
There was a man up in the big house
Your papa was afraid to speak out
That man kept my daddy's nose right on the ground
Well your papa he was mighty good
He was doing the best he could
All his life he lived just for you
Twelve kids he had a heavy load
He couldn't walk the front road
On his face he always wore a frown
It was for you and the others too
He was tryin' to make it through
He had to take the back road into town
Every year your papa would say
"Next year we're gonna move away
I wanna take my children away from here"
He said "I've almost lost my fear
I think I see my way clear
I'm gonna take a stand and be a man"
But then the man would come from the big house
Daddy would always back out
And end right up again behind the plow
When he finally made up his mind
Your daddy had wasted too much time
Your papa just put it off a little too long
'Cause all the years that papa was sleeping
Father Time kept right on creeping
'Til it was time for him to lay his body down
He did it all against his will
He got lost back in them fields
My daddy never made it into town
