Patches - A Tribute to Clarence Carter

[ti:Patches - A Tribute to Clarence Carter] [ar:Ameritz - Tribute] [al:Patches - A Tribute to Clarence Carter] [by:] [offset:0] [00:02.23]I was born and raised down in Alabama [00:04.91]On a farm way back up in the woods [00:07.82]I was so ragged that folks used to call me Patches [00:10.64]Papa used to tease me about it [00:11.71]'Cause deep down inside he was hurt [00:13.25]'Cause he'd done all he could [00:14.26] [00:16.21]My papa was a great old man [00:19.31]I can see him with a shovel in his hands see [00:22.39]Education he never had [00:25.22]But he did wonders when the times got bad [00:28.32]The little money from the crops he raised [00:30.02] [00:31.44]Barely paid the bills we made [00:33.74]For life had kick him down to the ground [00:37.02]When he tried to get up [00:38.21]Life would kick him back down [00:39.65]One day Papa called me to his dyin' bed [00:42.57]Put his hands on my shoulders [00:44.05]And in his tears he said [00:45.53]He said Patches [00:46.16] [00:46.67]I'm dependin' on you son [00:50.09]To pull the family through [00:53.12]My son it's all left up to you [01:01.48]Two days later Papa passed away and [01:04.00]I became a man that day [01:07.08]So I told Mama I was gonna quit school but [01:09.67]She said that was Daddy's strictest rule [01:11.91] [01:13.16]So ev'ry mornin' 'fore I went to school [01:15.12] [01:16.20]I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too [01:18.65]Sometimes I felt that I couldn't go on [01:21.62]I wanted to leave just run away from home [01:24.62]But I would remember what my daddy said [01:27.57]With tears in his eyes on his dyin' bed [01:30.45]He said Patches [01:31.33]I'm dependin' on you son [01:34.98]I tried to do my best [01:37.97]It's up to you to do the rest [01:46.41]But then one day a strong rain came [01:48.94]Washed all the crops away [01:50.06] [01:51.86]And at the age of 13 I thought [01:53.38]I was carryin' the weight of the [01:54.92]Whole world on my shoulders [01:57.09]And you know Mama knew [01:58.01]What I was goin' through 'cause [01:59.84] [02:01.11]Ev'ry day I had to work the fields [02:04.21]'Cause that's the only way we got our meals [02:06.49]You see I was the oldest of the family [02:08.76] [02:10.19]And ev'rybody just depended on me [02:13.43]Ev'ry night I heard my Mama pray [02:16.19]Lord give him the strength to face another day [02:18.60]So years have passed and all the kids are grown [02:21.81]The angels took Mama to a brand new home [02:24.48]Lord knows people I shedded tears [02:27.68]But my daddy's voice kept me through the years [02:30.32]Sing [02:30.75]Patches I'm dependin' on you son [02:35.09]To pull the family through [02:38.11]My son it's all left up to you [02:43.46]Oh I can still hear Papa's voice sayin' [02:45.25]Patches I'm dependin' on you son [02:50.04]I've tried to do my best [02:53.08]It's up to you to do the rest [02:57.28]Patches - A Tribute to Clarence Carter - Ameritz - Tribute