Daddy Was A God Fearin' Man

Used to go with my grandpa up to the town square

Set him down up there on a picnic bench

And he used to play checkers with them other old menup there

They used to tell stories bout when they were kids

Grandpa says he shot the Chief of Police when he was nine years old

I believe it

Cause they tell me Harlan Knetucky was the baddest place in the world

Why they say they used to sit out there on their front porch

Shoot them revenuers when they'd come down the hollow

Said they was so young took two of them boys

To hold the rifle and one to pull the trigger

Well grandpa he'd lie a little bit

But I'll tell you there's a lot of stories in Harlan County

Yeah folks in Harlan County Lord they knew that we were poor

They always called my daddy Preacher Dan

But daddy weren't no preacher least ways I don't recallect

Never hear of papa talk of nothin' but the land

Daddy was a God fearin' farmer yes he was

Could not read nor write Lord he could barely sign his name

Daddy was a God fearin' farmer all his life someday when I'm grown I'll be the same

Well he always grew tobacco though he did not smoke himself

He had the best tobacco crop around

And he never touched a drop of liquor that I can recall

Papa made his livin' on the ground

Yes Sunday go to meetin' called for more than he could stand

I guess he felt at home in his old clothes

But he never missed a Sunday takin' mama to the church

Maybe it was habit Lord but heaven only knows

Daddy was a God fearin' farmer...

[ steel - fiddle ]

Yeah folks in Harlan County Lord....

Someday when I'm grown I'll be the same someday when I'm grown I'll be the same