At first mom and papa called their little boy Ned
They raise him on the banks of the river bed
A houseboat tied to a big tall tree
A home for my papa and my mama and me
The clock strikes three papa jumps to his feet
Already mama's cooking papa somethin' to eat
At half past papa he's ready to go
He jumps in his piro headed down the bayou

He's got fishin' lines strung across the Louisiana River
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
He's sittin' crops in the swamp catchin' everythin' he can
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man

Muskart hides a hangin' by the dozen
Even got a lady make a muskart's cousin
Got 'em up drying in the hot hot sun
Tomorrow papa's gonna turn them into mon
[ harmonica ]
They call mama Rita and my daddy Jack
A little baby brother on the floor that's Mac
Rynn and Lynn are the family twins
Big brother Ed's on the bayou fishin'
On the river float papa's great big boat
That's for my papa goes into town
Takes every bit of the night and day
To even reach the place where the people stay

I can hardly wait till tomorrow comes around
That's the day papa takes his furs to town
Papa promised me that I could go
Even let me see a cowboy show
I seen the cowboys and Indians for the first time then
I told my papa me I gotta go again
Papa said son we got the lines to run
We'll come back again now there's work to be done