"Ragged Knees"
Youse chill'n all fetch yoself ovah by me, n' set yo bodies downIffen yo can't toat up a cheah, den rest upon da groun'
I'se gonna tell yo bout Heaben an Hell so's youse can allus knows
Hutch yo gonna do afore youse die so's ya Knows whear youse will go'
My Mammy did splain ta me one time when I'z was jes a child
I wud be judged fo bad things I did, so's not ta be so wild.
My Pappy died when I jes three so Mammy den had ta take
In. da washin,n ironin and scrubbin floors, den bread fo Us, she'd bake
Wore hand down clothes weeze glad ta get; heppin uders wit dare chores,
We'ze nebbah did has no money, so yo couldn't call us poor.
Dem pants I wore nebbah reached da floor I cud allus feel a breeze
Special e' wit dem ragged big holes, dat wass in boff da knees.
Dat wass how I'ze gots mah name,da 'Ragged Knees' I wass called;
No one ta blame, I was ashamed, but I nev-vah ev-vah bawled.
Mammy worked hard araisin foah kids, in a tattered one room shack
She nevvah had no time ta sew, bare' kept clothes on our back
Sister Sarah, on Sunday morn after fritters and sorguhum was et
Let Mammt lay in, and she wash our face, an git our shirt all wet!
When Mammy gots up she has a big smile, we kno's she had a dream,
Bout no body be sick, no cotton ta pick, as she spoke her eyes would gleem'
Us kids wide eyed assed iffen she'd died as it now, were bearly seben;
What time a day can yo feel dis way, yo mind on thoughts of Heaben?
Our churchhouse was down da road a piece, a twenty minute walk,
Mammy toted her bible along, but some o da pages was lost.
Iffen weeze lucky nuff, ta get a pew, by a person dat cud read
Wud point to to da verses dat was read-the peace was real indeed.
Heaben is real and so is Hell ass' the bebil he do know;
He tryin hard ta git us but Mammy taught us, 'doan be slo'
To bow yer head and close yo eyes an den da words will flow;
Tell God yo is sorry fo da mess, but now yous' come ta know
Dat Jesus take away Allus our sin, makin our heart white as snow.
And when we dies it will be no surprise when weze walkin streets a' gold!
While da Devil is chained in da middle da earth, till dat day arrive;
Boff da demon helpers will be throwed, inna lake o fires'...Alive!
Dat will burn and burn fo-ebah cus deres no body ta put it out
In misery, pain an agonny they will fo'ebbah scream and shout!
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