Well, at birth mom and papa called their little boy Ned

Raised him on the banks of a river bed

On 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

Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man My 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 money Well, they call mama Rita and my daddy Jack

Little baby brother on the floor that's Mack

Bren and Lin are the family twins

And big brother Ed's on the bayou fishing On the river floats papa's great big boat

And that's how my papa goes into town

Takes him every bit of a night and a day

To even reach a place where the people stay And 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

Well, 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

Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man

Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man

Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man

Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man

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