Smokey Mountain Memories (Live)

But anyhow was thinking like that, and
My mama's being able to help my dad, got us through
Because like I said, we were raised in a house full of kids like that
My dad was just a farmer
And daddy never was able to read and write but
He happened to be one of the smartest person I knew inspite of that fact
But he worked on the farm mostly
And as the kids started to multiply
Well, he worked on construction
He'd get up way 'fore daylight and work on the farm
And he'll go work all day on the construction job
Come back home work way after dark
But anyhow, he was a very hard worker
My dad never told us he loved us
Never heard those words from my dad
But I don't ever remember a time I didn't know it

We could see it in daddy's eyes
We could just hear it in his voice
Just the way he worked for us, he just wasn't
The man of the kind, that would get that stuff out like that
But we always knew and we loved him dearly
But my dad passed away two years ago, last month
We miss him a lot, it just like he's still here really
'Cause I'm always saying stuff, sounds just like daddy
Doing stuff, look in the mirror, I got my daddy's eyes
Without all these gook on
But in the end, I see him everywhere and think about him
I remember one time when the family was multiplying
A lot of men folk around all the southern county
Was going up to Detroit, Michigan to work at the Ford plant
My dad had a couple of brothers and friends, that had gone up there
Lot of country people were glad to get out of the mountains
They didn't like being hill Billies
They wanted to, you know, to do something else
And that was fun

But my dad never had been out of Smoky mountains
Where he was born and raised, he loved the hills
So he thought, well I try it, I reckon
And if I do alright I'll bring my family to Detroit
Well, that lasted about two weeks
Daddy got home sick, he almost died
He said, "I'm going back to the Smoky mountains
I'll live and die there in them hills
Raise my Kids the best way I know how"
And I wrote this about that time of my dad's life
So we'll dedicate this to all the hardworking folks out there
It's called 'Smoky Mountain Memories'
This is always for daddy

You ought to go north somebody told us
'Cause the air is filled with gold dust
And fortune falls like snow flakes in your hands
Now I don't recall who said it
But we'd spend our lives on credit
So we headed out to find our promised land

Just poor Smoky Mountains farm folk
With nothing more than high hopes
So we hitched our station wagon to a star
But our dreams all fell in on us
'Cause there was no land of promise
Though it's a stuggle just keepin' sight of who you are

Oh and these Northern nights are dreary
And my Southern heart grows weary
As I wonder how the old folks are back home
But I know that they all love me
And I know they're thinking of me
The Smoky Mountains memories keep me strong

You know I've been thinkin' a whole lot lately
About what's been and what awaits me
It takes all I've got to give what life demands
Lord, you go insane if you give in to it
Life's a mill and brother I've been through it all
I'm just thankful I'm creative with my hands

Oh and these Northern nights they're dreary
Thes ol' Southern eyes are teary
As I wonder how the old folks are back home
But I'll keep leanin' on my Jesus
I konw he'll love and guide and lead us
The Smoky Mountains memories keep me strong

If I'll keep looking to the father
He'll keep my head above the water
While the Smoky Mountains memories keep me strong
My home sweet home