Louisiana Man

Well, at birth mom and papa called their little boy Ned He raised him on the banks of a river bed On a houseboat tied to a big tall tree A home for my papa and my mama and me The clock strikes three and papa jumps to his feet Already mama's cooking papa something to eat At half past, papa he's ready to go He jumps in his pirogue headed down the bayou He's got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana rivers Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat He's setting traps in the swamp, catching anything he can Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man My Muskrat hides hanging by the dozens Even got a lady mink, a muskrat's cousin Got 'em out drying in the hot, hot sun Tomorrow papa's gonna turn 'em into money Well, they call mama Rita and my daddy Jack Little baby brother on the floor, that's Mack Bren and Lin are the family twins And big brother Eddie's on the bayou fishing On the river floats papa's great big boat And that's how my papa goes into town It takes him every bit of a night and a day To even reach a place where the people stay And I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around That's the day my papa takes his furs to town Papa promised me that I could go He'd even let me see a cowboy show I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then I told my pop I've gotta go again Well, Papa said, "Son we've got lines to run We'll come back again but first there's work to be done" He's got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana rivers Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat He's setting traps, he's in the swamp he's catching anything he can Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man Gotta make a living, Louisiana man