Patches-Clarence Carter

[ti:Patches (LP Version)] [ar:Clarence Carter] [al:Patches] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Patches - Clarence Carter [00:02.44]I was born and raised down in Alabama [00:03.88]On a farm way back up in the woods [00:07.20]I was so raggedy folks used call me “Patches” [00:09.95]Papa used to tease me ‘bout it [00:11.62]Of course deep down inside he was hurt [00:13.48]‘Cause he’d done all he could [00:14.79] [00:16.07]My papa was a great ol’ man [00:18.09] [00:18.82]I can see him with a shovel in his hand [00:21.20]See education he never had [00:23.68] [00:24.72]But he did wonders when the time got bad [00:27.35]The little money from the crops he raised [00:29.86] [00:30.64]Barely paid the bills we made [00:33.04]Oh life it kicked him down to the ground [00:35.64]When he tried to get up life would kick him back down [00:38.70]One day papa called me to his dyin’ bed [00:41.01]Put his hands on my shoulders and in tears he said [00:44.06]He said “Patches [00:45.50]I’m dependin’ on you son [00:48.24]To pull the family through [00:51.11] [00:52.07]My son it’s all left up to you” [00:56.01] [01:00.91]Two days later papa passed away [01:02.41] [01:03.05]And I became a man that day [01:06.21]So I told mama I was gonna quit school [01:08.54]But she said that was daddy’s strictest rule [01:12.14]So every morning ‘fore I went to school [01:14.81]I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too [01:17.55]Sometimes I felt that I couldn’t go on [01:20.19]I wanted to leave just run away from home [01:22.95]But I would remember what my daddy said [01:25.50]With tears in his eyes on his dyin’ bed [01:29.04]He said “Patches [01:30.40]I’m dependin’ on you son [01:32.92]I tried to do my best [01:35.54] [01:36.20]It’s up to you to do the rest” [01:41.56] [01:45.59]But then one day a strong rain came [01:47.63]And washed all the crops away [01:49.34]And at the age of 13 [01:52.31]I thought I was carryin’ the weight of the whole world on my shoulders [01:55.47]And you know mama knew what I was going through [01:58.86]‘Cause every day I had to work the fields [02:01.92] [02:02.55]‘Cause that’s the only way we got our meals [02:04.92]You see I was the oldest of the family [02:08.03] [02:08.56]And everybody else depended on me [02:10.71] [02:11.60]Every night I heard my mama pray [02:13.74] [02:14.28]Lord give him strength to face another day [02:16.41]4 years have passed and all the kids have grown [02:19.66]The angels took mama to a brand new home [02:22.66]God knows people I she'd tears [02:25.77]But my daddy’s voice kept me through the years [02:28.61]Sayin’ Patches [02:29.32]I’m dependin on you son [02:32.00] [02:32.98]To pull the family through [02:35.21] [02:36.25]My son it’s all left up to you” [02:40.66] [02:41.75]I can still hear papa when he said “Patches [02:45.05]I’m dependin’ on you son [02:47.32] [02:48.24]I tried to do my best [02:50.50]It’s up to you to do the rest” [02:55.36] [02:56.46]I can still hear papa when he said “Patches [02:59.59]I’m dependin’ on you son [03:02.35] [03:03.28]To pull the family through