Clarence Carter – Patches chords

    Clarence Carter                 “Patches”              Capo 4          Written by: Catfish

GI was born and raised down in Alabama
BmOn a farm way back up in the woods
G7I was so raggedy, folks used call me, “Patches”
C             Bm           AmPapa used to tease me ‘bout it
G                                       EOf course deep down inside he was hurt
Am‘Cause he’d done all he could

 DMy papa was a great ol’ man
CI can see him with a shovel in his hand
DSee, education he never had
CBut he did wonders when the time got bad
DThe little money from the crops he raised
CBarely paid the bills we made






G                                       BbOh, life it kicked him down to the ground
C                                       GWhen he tried to get up, life would kick him back down
G                                  BbOne day papa called me to his dyin’ bed
C                                               GPut his hands on my shoulders and in tears he said

             GHe said, “Patches
                        BmI’m dependin’ on you, son
                          G7To pull the family through
                     C  Bm Am  G  E   AmMy son, it’s all left up to you”

DTwo days later papa passed away
CAnd I became a man that day
DSo I told mama I was gonna quit school
CBut she said that was daddy’s strictest rule
DSo every morning ‘fore I went to school
C                                                                                       I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too




G                               BbSometimes I felt that I couldn’t go on
C                               GI wanted to leave, just run away from home
G                               BbBut I would remember what my daddy said
C                               GWith tears in his eyes on his dyin’ bed

 
             GHe said, “Patches
                              BmI’m dependin’ on you, son
                      G7I tried to do my best
                 C  Bm     Am  G  E   AmIt’s up to you to do the rest”

                    GBut then one day a strong rain came
            BmAnd washed all the crops away
       G7And at the age of 13
                       C               Bm                Am         G                       EI thought I was carryin’ the weight of the whole world on my shoulders
                                       AmAnd you know mama knew what I was going through






 D‘Cause every day I had to work the fields
C‘Cause that’s the only way we got our meals
DYou see, I was the oldest of the family
CAnd everybody else depended on me
DEvery night I heard my mama pray
C Lord, give him strength to face another day

  G                                     Bb4 years have passed and all the kids have grown
C                               GThe angels took mama to a brand new home
G                       BbGod knows people, I she'd tears
C                               GBut my daddy’s voice kept me through the years

           GSayin’, “Patches
                                BmI’m dependin’ on you, son
                              G7To pull the family through
                      C          G    E   AmMy son, it’s all left up to you”

                                                   



                                                        GI can still hear papa when he said, “Patches
                               BmI’m dependin’ on you, son
                         G7I tried to do my best
                 C  Bm  Am  G   E   Am It’s up to you to do the rest”

                                                      GI can still hear papa when he said, “Patches
                                BmI’m dependin’ on you, son
                               G7To pull the family through