(Spoken) I was born and raised down in Alabama On a farm way back up in the woods Why I was so ragged folks used to call me Patches Papa used to tease me about it But deep down inside dad was hurtin' 'Cause he done the best he could. (Sang) My papa was a great old man I can see him with a shovel in his hand Education that he never had But he did wonders when the times got bad. The little money from the crops we 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 Placed his hands on my shoulder and with tears he said Patches, I'm depending on you son to pull the family through My son, it's all, it's up to you. Two days later papa passed away And I became a man that day Everyday I had to work the fields 'Cause that's the only way we got our meals. I was the oldest of the family And everybody was depending on me Now here's the path that everybodies on Mamas been living in a brand new home. Lord, knows it took a lot of sweat and tears And my daddy's blood to help us through the teas Patches, I'm depending on you son to pull the family through My son, it's all, it's up to you. --- Instrumental --- (Spoken) Daddy had been sick for a long time, flat on his back Every evening after we'd finished our chores and eat our dinner We'd all go into papa's room to cheer him up a little And this particular day, Dad was in good spirits Sitting on his side of the bed telling mama how good she looked When all of a sudden papa had a pain in his chest I was too young to understand, talking about a heart attack here Mama rushed all of us out of the room into the hallway About ten minutes later she came out with tears in her eyes She called out to me, "Patches, patches get in here 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 something was wrong 'Cause daddy was a poor man but all of his life he'd been a proud man I knelt down on one knee beside the bed, papa put his hand on my shoulder He said, "Patches, Patches boy, the hammer of life done beat Your old papa down to the ground and I ain't got nobody To turn to to take care of mama and the young ones." "So, what I want you to do is promise me son Is that you're gonna do your best to help your mama As much as you can, I said, "Papa, I'm gonna do my best." But little did I know then like I know right now That trying to climb life's mountain Searching for a top when there ain't no top. Sometimes you find yourself frustrated, lazy But everytime I feel like I can't live my life like I want to My mind goes back to the day when I see those tears in my daddy's eyes But most of all I remember his words "Patches, I'm depending on you boy." Every time I feel like giving up I hear his voice "Patches, Patches, Patches, Patches." (Sang) "I'm depening on you son I tried to do me best, it's up to you to do the rest." "Patches, I'm depending on you son I've tried to do my best, it up to you to do the rest." "Patches, I'm depening on you son I tried to do me best, it's up to you to do the rest." (Patches, I'm depening on you son I tried to do me best, it's up to you to do the rest.) (Patches, I'm depening on you son I tried to do me best, it's up to you to do the rest.) (Patches, I'm depening on you son I tried to do me best, it's up to you to do the rest.) (Patches, I'm depening on you son I tried to do me best, it's up to you to do the rest.) (I'm depening on you son I tried to do me best, it's up to you to do the rest...)
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