Louisiana Man

[Verse 1]
At birth, mom and papa called their little boy Ned
Raised him on the banks of a 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 something to eat
At half past, papa, he's ready to go
He jumps in his pirogue headed down the bayou

[Chorus]
He's got fishing line strung across the Louisiana rivers
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
He's setting traps in the swamps catching anything he can
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man

[Verse 2]
Muskrat hides hanging by the dozen
Even got a lady mink, a muskrat's cousin
Got 'em out drying in the hot, hot sun
Tomorrow papa's gonna turn 'em into mon'

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 3]
Well, they call mama Rita and my daddy Jack
A little baby brother on the floor, that's Mack
Bren' and Lin' are the family twins
Big brother Ed's on the bayou fishing
On the river float papa's great big boat
That's how my papa goes into town
It takes every bit of a night and a day
To even reach a place where the people stay

[Verse 4]
I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around
That's the day my papa takes the furs to town
Papa promised me that a-I could go
Even let me see a cowboy show
I seen the cowboys and Indians for the first time then
I told my pop I gotta go again
Papa said, "Son, they've got lines to run
We'll come back again, first there's work to be done"

[Chorus]
He's got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana rivers
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
He's setting traps in the swamps catching anything he can
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man

[Outro]
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man