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Patches
Clarence Carter

I was born and raised down in Alabama
On a farm way back up in the woods
I was so ragged folks used to call me Patches
Papa used to tease me but he was hurt cus he done all he could
My papa was a great old man
I can see him with a shovel in his hand
See, education he never had
But he did wonders when the times got bad
The little money from the crops he 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
Put his hands on my shoulders And in tears he said
Patches, I'm depending on you son
To pull the family through
My son, it's all left up to you

Two days later papa passed away
I became a man that day
So I told mama I was gonna quit school
But she said that was daddy's strictest rule
So every morning 'fore I went to school
I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too
Sometimes I felt that I couldn't go on
I wanted to leave and run away from home
But I always remembered what my daddy said
With tears in his eyes on his dyin bed
He said, "Patches, I'm depending on you son
I tried to do my best,
It's up to you to do the rest

But then one day a strong rain came
And washed all the crops away
And at the age of thirteen I thought I was carrying
The weight of the whole world on my shoulders
And you know, mama knew what I was going through, Cause
Everyday I had to work the fields
Cause that's the only way we got our meals
You see, I was the boss of the family
And everybody else depended on me
Every night I heard my mama pray
Lord, give him the strength to face another day
The years have passed and all the kids are gone
The angels took mama to a brand new home
God knows people that I shed a tear
But my daddy's voice just speaks to me
Sayin, "Patches, I'm depending on you son
To pull the family through
My son, it's all left up to you
I could still hear papa when he'd say
Patches, I'm depending on you son
I tried to do my best
It's up to you to do the rest".

FADE