I asked Mama many times
What kept Papa so far behind
What in the world was holding my Daddy down?
Papa always dropped his head
Lord, he seemed so afraid
Like he was carryin' a heavy burden all the time
There was a man up in the big house
Papa was afraid to speak out
The man kept my Daddy's nose right on the ground
Yeah, your Papa he was mighty good
He was doin' the best he could
All his life he lived just for you
Twelve kids, he had a heavy load
He couldn't walk the front road
On his face he always wore a frown
It was for you and the others too
He was tryin' to make it through
He had to take the back road into town
Every year your Papa would say
Next year, I'm gonna move away
I wanna take my children away from here
He said I've almost lost my fear
I think I see my way clear
I'm gonna take a stand and be a man
But then the man would come from the big house
Daddy would always back out
And end up right again behind the plow
Twelve kids, he had a heavy load
He couldn't walk the front road
On his face he always wore a frown
It was for you and the others too
He was tryin' to make it through
He had to take the back road into town
When he finally made up his mind
Your Daddy had wasted too much time
Your Papa just put it off a little too long
'Cause all the years that Papa was sleepin'
The time kept right on creepin'
'Til it was time for him to lay his body down
He did it all against his will
He got lost back in them fields
My Daddy never made it into town
Twelve kids, he had a heavy load
He couldn't walk the front road
On his face he always wore a frown
It was for you and the others too
He was tryin' to make it through
He had to take the back road into town
Twelve kids, he had a heavy load
He couldn't walk the front road
On his face he always wore a frown
It was for you and the others too
He was tryin' to make it through
He had to take the back road into town
Twelve kids, he had a heavy load
He couldn't walk the front road
...
