Black Texas Dirt

Lyrics

[Verse 1] Mama and Papa spent the very best years Of their life on a West Texas farm Tryin' to scratch a livin' from the black land dirt That treated them only with scorn [Verse 2] From way before sunup to way after sundown Papa walked behind that ol' mule And 'til the day that we laid him away He lived by the golden rule [Chorus] Black Texas dirt, you're full of hurt And you won't grow nothing but weeds You took my mama and papa, it's true But you ain't a-gonna get me [Verse 3] The sun and the rain, well, they took everything 'Cept the dirt that would fly in my face I swore that someday that I'd find me a way To take me away from this place [Verse 4] I packed my belongings for soon I'd be goin' Far off to start a new life And I'd better hurry or I'd have to worry About those dark clouds in the sky [Bridge] As I reached the gate and turned to take one last look At the old homeplace where I was born I thought I could hear voices callin' to me But then I thought, "No, that just must be the storm" I couldn't get over the feelin' that something was wrong That I was leavin' something behind I couldn't put my finger on it But I couldn't get that off my mind It seemed as if the wind was Mama's and Papa's voices And that they were pleading with me to stay And that the rain was tears that the sky were shedding Because I was goin' away But then like a bolt of lightnin' from out the blue Oh, that feeling swept over me like a flood And for the very first time in my life, I knew I had black Texas dirt in my blood [Chorus] Black Texas dirt, you're full of hurt And you won't grow nothing but weeds You took my mama and papa, it's true And now you're a-gonna take me