Louisiana Man

(album: I Don't Care - 1964)

At first mom and papa called little boy Ned
They raised him on the banks of the river bed
A houseboat tied to a big tall tree
A home for my mama and my papa and me.

The clock strikes three, papa jumps to his feet
Already mama's cooking papa something to eat
At half past, papa he's ready to go
He hops in his piro, headed down the bayou.

They got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana River
Gonna catch a big fish for us to eat
They're setting traps in the swamp catching everything he can
Gonna make a living he's a Louisiana man.
Gonna make a living he's a Louisiana man.

Muskart hides a hanging by the dozen
Even got a lady make a muskart's cousin
Pile of hide drying in the hot, hot sun
Tomorrow papa's gonna turn them into mon.

[Instrumental]

They call my mama Rita and my daddy Jack
A little baby brother on the floor that's Mac
Rynn and Lynn are the family twins
Big brother Ed's on the bayou fishing.

On the river floats papa's great big boat
That's how my papa goes into town
Makes every bit of the night and the day
Then ever reach the place where the people stay.

I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around
That's the day my papa takes his fures to town
Papa promised me that I could go
Even gonna see a cowboy show.

I see the cowboys and Indians for the first time then
Told my pappy, gotta go again
Papa said, son we got the lines to run
We'll come back again that there's work to be done.

And they got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana River
Gonna catch a big fish for us to eat
They're setting traps in the swamp catching everything he can
Gonna make a living he's a Louisiana man.
Gonna make a living he's a Louisiana man.
Gonna make a living he's a Louisiana man.
Gonna make a living he's a Louisiana man...