Black-Eyed Peas Now from the age of four I was helping on the land Though he called me son, I was just another hand I worked the fields in the summer heat and in the winter freeze Tried to warm my belly up on the bowl of black-eyed peas Black-Eyed Peas I worked the fields at dawn then walked five miles to school Pa said you got to learn some now, don't want to raise a fool Don't like a boy who's idle, so you'll work to pay your fees Cause you're eating us out of house and home on bowls of black-eyed peas Black-Eyed Peas Once a week we'd sit around, all get Sunday fed Then us boys would do the chores while Pa went off to bed He said he'd earned his day of rest, we could eat just what we pleased And eating all the chicken, all we got was black-eyed peas Black-Eyed Peas Then one day the Lord came down and took old Pa away Mar took up with a city man, went back east to stay We buried Pa upon a hill shaded by the cottonwood trees About the only thing we could grow in his grave was a clump of black-eyed peas Black-Eyed Peas I got married yesterday, she ain't pretty but she's strong Got to raise the family just to help the farm along Well after we played all summer long she would run and she would tease Fill me full of happiness in bowls of black-eyed peas Black-Eyed Peas Now we've got four young'uns, three boys and one's a girl The boy's a farmer's big and strong and the girl is just a girl Sit there on the porch, let them climb upon my knees We shout, hey watch the dinner, Pa! I tell them black-eyed peas Black-Eyed Peas If you're ever coming down a way we'll serve a junior ham Some Norfolk turkey and cranberry sauce and a pile of candied yam That pumpkin pie I find too rich for you to eat, just watch it please All I want's what my daddy had, just a bowl of black-eyed peas Black-Eyed Peas Black-Eyed Peas Black-Eyed Peas Black-Eyed Peas