G
I never picked cotton


Like my mother did and my brother did

       
And my sister did and my daddy died young

D7                G
Working in a coal mine

 
        
When I was just a baby

 
Too little for the cotton sack

 
I played in the dirt while the others worked

          D7                        G
Till they couldn't straighten their backs

 
 
And I made my self a promise

 
When I was old enough to run

 
That I'd never stay a single day

D7               G
In that Oklahoma sun

 
G
I never picked cotton


Like my mother did and my brother did

       
And my sister did and my daddy died young

D7                G
Working in a coal mine


 
Folks said that I grew up early

 
And the farm couldn't hold me then

 
So I stole ten bucks and a pick up truck

    D7                G
And I never went back again

 
 
And it was fast cars and whiskey

 
Long legged girls and fun

 
I had everything that money could bring

    D7                   G
And I took it all with a gun

 
G
I never picked cotton


Like my mother did and my brother did

       
And my sister did and my daddy died young

D7                G
Working in a coal mine


 
It was Saturday night in Memphis

 
When a redneck grabbed my shirt

 
And he said go back to your cotton sack

  D7                    G
I left him lying in the dirt

 
 
And they'll take me in the morning

 
To the gallows just outside

 
And in the time I've got there ain’t a hell of a lot

  D7                    G
I can look back on with pride

 
G
I never picked cotton


Like my mother did and my brother did

       
And my sister did and I’ll never die young

D7                G
Working in a coal mine