I was and raised down in Alabama On a way back up in the woods Oh, I was so ragged, used call me Patches Papa used to tease me it But deep inside dad was hurtin' 'Cause he the best he could do
My papa was a old man I can see him with a shovel in his daddy never had But he did wonders when the got bad The little money the crops we raised paid the bills we made
Oh, life put him down to the When he tried to get up, life would kick him 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, it's all up to you"
Two days later passed away And I became a man day So, everyday I had to the fields 'Cause that's the way we got our meals See, I was the oldest of the And was depending on me
Now, have passed, everybody's grown Mama's been living in a new home Lord knows it took a lot of and tears And my daddy's voice helped us through the years
He said, "Patches, I'm on you son To pull the through, my son, it's all left up to you"
Daddy had been sick for a long time, flat on his 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 good Sitting on the side of the bed mama how good 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 all of us out of the room into the hallway About ten minutes later she came out with in her eyes She out to me "Patches, patches get in boy you're Daddy want to see you" I went running to papa's room there lay there
Daddy had in his eyes, I knew something was wrong 'Cause was a poor man but all of my life he'd been a proud man I knelt down on one beside the bed Papa put his on my shoulder He said, "Patches, Patches boy, the hammer of done beat Your old down to the ground and I ain't got nobody To to take care of mama and the young ones"
"So, I want you to do is promise me son Is you're gonna do your best to help your mama As as you can", I said, "Papa I'm gonna do my best" But little did I know like I know right now trying to climb life's mountain Searching for a top there ain't 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 I see those tears in my Daddy's eyes But most of all I his words "Patches, I'm on you boy"
Every time I feel giving up I hear 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 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"