Hard little papa can't stand his ground
He was a good papa, but he's done gone down
Lord, lord, he got them brown's ferry blues

Hard little papa standing in the rain
If the world was corny, couldn't buy a grain
Lord, lord, he got them brown's ferry blues

Hard little papa countin' his toes
You can smell his feet wherever he goes
Lord, lord, he got them brown's ferry blues

Hard little papa can't do his stub
The trouble with him, he's been too rough
Lord, lord, he got them brown's ferry blues

Two old maids playing in the sand
Each one wishing that the other was a man
Lord, lord, they got them brown's ferry blues

Two old maids done lost their style
If you wanna be lucky, you got to smile
Lord, lord, he got them brown's ferry blues

Early to bed, early to rise
If your girl goes out with other guys
Lord, lord, got them brown's ferry blues
If you don't believe it, try it yourself
I tried it, but I got left
Lord, lord, got them brown's ferry blues

I got a girl in the Cumberland Gap
She's got a boy who calls me Pap
Lord, lord, he got them brown's ferry blues

I don't smoke and I don't chew
And I don't go with the gals that do
Lord, lord, he got them brown's ferry blues

I wanna go home, but there ain't no use
For the jailer-man, he won't turn me loose
Lord, lord, got them brown's ferry blues

Had a good time when I was free
But I let the wrong thing get the best of me
Lord, lord, got them brown's ferry blues