Well did you ever sleep at the foot of the bed when the weather was whizzin' cold When the wind was a howlin' round the house and the moon was yeller as gold And you give your good warm mattress up to Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Fred How too many kinfolks on a bad night and you went to the foot of the bed Well I could always wait till the old folks ate and eat the leavin's with grace The teacher could keep me after school I'd still have a smile on my face I could wear the big girls' wornout clothes or let sister have my sled But it always did get my nanny goat to sleep at the foot of the bed It was fine enough when kinfolks come and the kid brought brand new games You could see how fat all the old folks was and learn all the babies' names Had biscuits and custard and chicken pie we all got Sunday fed But I always knew when nighttime come I was headed for the foot of the bed Now they say some folks don't know what it is havin' company all over the place To rassle for cover on a winter night with a big foot settin' in your face Or cold toenails a scratchin' your back and the footboard scrubbin' your head Well I'll tell the world you ain't lost a thing never sleepin' at the foot of the bed Well I've done it over and over again in this land of the brave and the free And in this all fired battle of life it's left its mark on me For I'm always a strugglin' around at the foot instead of forgin' ahead And I don't think it's caused from a doggone thing But a sleepin' at the foot of the bed