LOUISIANA MAN (Acuff Rose)
by Doug Kershaw


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 hero 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

I can hardly wait until 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

another version

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 and 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


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 swamp catching anything he can
He's gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man
He's gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man

He's got Muskrat hides hanging by the dozens
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(ey)

They call mama Rita and my daddy Jack
Little baby brother on the floor that's Mack
Bren(da) and Lin(da) are the family twins
And big brother Ed's on the bayou fishing

On the river floats 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 people stay

Bridge: (2nd)
I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around
That's the day my papa takes his furs to town
Papa promised me that I could go
He'd even let me see a cowboy show

I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then
I told my pop I've gotta go again
Papa said son we've got lines to run
We'll come back again but first there's work to be done

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 swamp catching anything he can
He's gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man
He's gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana Man




The Gosdins "Sound of Goodbye" 1968