First Momma Poppa call a little boy Ned,
Raise him on the banks of the riverbed,
In a houseboat tied to a big tall tree,
Home for my Momma and my Poppa and me.
Half-past three Poppa jumps to his feet,
Already Momma cooking Poppa somethin' to eat,
Half-past five Poppa's ready to go,
Jumps in his perouge headed down the bayou.
Got fishin' lines running cross the Louisiana river
Gonna catch a big fish for us to eat,
Settin' traps in the swamp, catchin' everything they can
Gonna make a livin', he's a Lousiana man,
Gonna make a livin', he's a Lousiana man,
Muskrat hides hangin' by the dozen,
Even got a little baby muskrat cousin,
Got 'em out dryin' in the hot, hot sun,
Tomorrow Poppa's gonna turn 'em into money
They call momma Rita and my daddy Jack
Little baby brother on the floor that's Mac
Red and Lynn (Gunnar and Matthew) are the family twins
big brother Ed's on the bayou fishin
I can hardly wait until (tomorrow) the mornin' comes around,
That's the day my Poppa taked the furs to town,
Last time he told me that I could go,
Maybe even catch a cowboy show,
Saw cowboys and Indians for the first time then,
Told my Poppa, 'Got to come back again.'
Poppa said, 'Son, we got lines to run.
We'll come back again; there's work to be done.'