At first Mom and Poppa called the little girl a lady
They raised her on the banks of a river bed

A house boat tied to a big tall tree
A home for my poppa and my momma and me

The clock strikes three Poppa jumps to his fee
Already Moma's cookin' Poppa somethin' to eat
At half past Poppa he's a ready to go, he jumps in
his pirogue headed down the bayou

He's got fishin' line strung across the 'Lousiana River
Got to catch a big fish for us to eat
He's settin' his traps catchin' anything he can
Gotta make a livin' he's a 'Lousiana man,gotta make
a livin' he's a 'Lousiana man

Muskrat hides hangin' by the dozen, even got a little bitty
muskrat cousin
Got 'em out dryin' in the hot hot sun, tomorrow Poppa's
gone turn em into money

They call Moma Rita and my Daddy Jack,my little baby
brother on the floor that's Mac,Rhett and Lynn are the
family twins,big brother Eddie's on the bayou fishin'

On the river floats Poppa's great big boat
That's how me and Poppa get in to town
It takes every bit of a night and day to even reach
a place where the people stay

Oh I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around
That's the day my Poppa takes the furs to town
Poppa done promised me that I could go
He'd even let me see a cowboy show

I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then
I told my Poppa "gotta go again" but Poppa says"Hon
we got lines to run,we'll have to come again,cause theres
work to be done"

He's got fishin' line strung across the 'Lousiana River
Got a catch a big fish for us to eat
He's settin' his traps catchin' anything he can
Gotta make a livin' he's a' Lousiana man
Gotta make a livin' he's a' Lousiana man-an

Poppa done promised me that I could go
He'd even let me see the cowboy show

I saw the cowboys and indians for the first time then
I told my Poppa "Gotta go again" but Poppa said "Hon,
we got lines to run,we'll have to come again cause theres
work to be done

repeat chorus