James (Hold The Ladder Steady)

At first Mom and Papa called the little boy Ned
 raised him on the banks of the riverbed
 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 a-ready to go
 He jumps in his bireau heading down the bayou
 He's got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana River
 gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
 He sets his traps in a swamp catching anything he can
 Gotta make a living he's a Louisiana Man
 Gotta make a living he's a Louisiana Man
 Muskrat hides hangin' by the dozen
 Even got a lady makes muskrat's cousin
 All the hides drying in the hot hot sun
 Tomorrow Papa's gonna turn them into mon
 Well they call Mama Rita and my Daddy is Jack
 little baby brother on the floor is Matt
 Green and Lynn are the family twins
 Big brother Ed's on the bayou fishing
 On the river floats Papa's great big boat
 that's how my Papa go