I was born and raised down in On a way back up in the woods Oh, I was so ragged, folks call me Patches Papa used to me about it But deep inside dad was hurtin' 'Cause he done the best he do
My papa was a old man I can see him a shovel in his hand Education daddy had But he did wonders when the got bad The little money from the we raised paid the bills we made
Oh, put him down to the ground When he tried to get up, would kick him back down On the day papa called me to his bed his hands 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 later papa passed And I a man that day So, I had to work the fields that's the only way we got our meals See, I was the of the family And was depending on me
Now, years passed, everybody's grown Mama's been living in a new home Lord knows it took a lot of sweat and And my daddy's helped that us through the years
He said, "Patches, I'm on you son To the family through, my son, it's all left up to you"
Daddy had been for a long time, flat on his back Every evening we'd finished our chores and eat our dinner We'd all go into room to cheer him up a little And this particular day, Dad was in spirits Sitting on the side of the bed telling mama how she looked When all of a sudden had a pain in his chest
I was too young to understand, talking a heart attack here Mama rushed all of us out of the into the hallway ten minutes later she came out with tears in her eyes She out to me "Patches, patches get in here boy you're Daddy to see you" I running to papa's room there papa lay there
Daddy had in his eyes, I knew something was wrong 'Cause Daddy was a poor man but all of my he'd been a proud man I knelt down on one beside the bed put his hand on my shoulder He said, "Patches, Patches boy, the hammer of life beat Your old papa to the ground and I ain't got nobody To to take care of mama and the young ones"
"So, what I you to do is promise me son Is you're gonna do your best to help your mama As much as you can", I said, "Papa I'm do my best" But little did I then like I know right now That trying to climb life's Searching for a top when there no top
Sometimes you find yourself frustrated, 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 of all I remember his words "Patches, I'm on you boy"
Every time I feel like giving up I his voice "Patches, Patches, Patches, Patches"
"I'm on you son I tried to do my best, up you to do the rest"
"Patches, I'm on you son I've to do my best, it's up you to do the rest"
"Patches, I'm on you son To pull the family through, my son, all left up to you"