George Jones - Patches lyrics

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George Jones & B.B. King

(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...)