Daddy Was a God Fearin’ Man

By David Allan Coe

SPOKEN

USED TO GO WITH MY GRANDPA UP TO THE TOWN SQUARE, SET HIM DOWN UP THERE ON A PICNIC BENCH AND HE USED TO PLAY CHECKERS WITH THEM OTHER OLD MEN UP THERE. THEY USED TO TELL STORIES BOUT WHEN THEY WERE KIDS. GRANDPA SAYS HE SHOT THE CHIEF OF POLICE WHEN HE WAS NINE YEARS OLD. N' I BELIEVE HIM, CAUSE THEY TELL ME THAT HAZARD, KENTUCKY'S THE BALDEST PLACE IN THE WORLD. WHY, THEY SAY THEY USED TO SIT OUT THERE ON THERE FRONT PORCH, SHOOT THEN REVENUERS WHEN THEY'D COME DOWN THE HOLLOW. SAID THEY WAS SO YOUNG, TOOK TWO O' THEM BOYS TO HOLD THE RIFLE AND ONE TO PULL THE TRIGGER, HYMN! WELL, GRANDPA , HE'D LIE A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, THERE'S A LOT OF STORIES IN HARLAN COUNTY

YEA, FOLKS IN HARLAN COUNTY, LORD, THEY KNEW THAT WE WERE POOR

THEY ALWAYS CALLED MY DADDY PREACHER DAN

BUT DADDY WEREN'T NO PREACHER, LEAST WAYS I DON'T RECOLLECT

NEVER HEAR OF POPPA TALK OF NOTHING' BUT THE LAND

AND DADDY WAS A GOD FEARING' FARMER YES HE WAS

COULD NOT READ NOR WRITE, LORD, HE COULD BARLEY SPELL HIS NAME

DADDY WAS A GOD FEARING' FARMER ALL HIS LIFE

SOMEDAY WHEN IM GROWN ILL BE THE SAME

WELL HE ALWAYS GREW TOBACCO THOUGH HE DID NOT SMOKE HIMSELF

HE HAD THE BEST TOBACCO CROP AROUND

AND HE NEVER TOUCHED A DROP OF LIQUOR THAT I CAN RECALL

PAPA MADE HIS LIVING' ON THE GROUND

YES SUNDAY-GO-TO-MEETING' CALLED FOR MORE THAN HE COULD STAND

I GUESS HE FELT AT HOME IN HIS OLD CLOTHES

BUT HE NEVER MISSED A SUNDAY TAKING MOMMA TO THE CHURCH

MAYBE IT WAS HABIT, LORDS, BUT HEAVEN ONLY KNOWS

YEA, FOLKS IN HARLAN COUNTY, LORD, THEY KNEW THAT WE WERE POOR

THEY ALWAYS CALLED MY DADDY PREACHER DAN

BUT DADDY WEREN'T NO PREACHER, LEAST WAYS I DON'T RECOLLECT

NEVER HEAR OF GRANDPA TALK OF NOTHING' BUT THE LAND