There's a way of life that most folks don't even know about

When the cotton crop fails and the garden dries up because of the drought

And your only clothes're hangin' on your back and they're all wornout

And there's patches on the patches on your knees

The night wind whistles through the cracks and holes in the bedroom walls

The high water comes and it takes your house barn and all

You work like a dog to raise a fat hog and he dies in the fall

It's trouble and strife in the way of life called poverty

Poverty is a broken down shack and a greedy landlord

And your money crop beaten down by the summer storm

And you never see Washington's head on a greenback dollar

Poverty is a wishing to the Lord that you've never been born

[ steel ]

Try to catch a rabbit in a knee deep snow for somethin' to eat

But all you catch is a winter cough and frozen feet

The rabbits done gone and you gotta go home without any meat

Wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't six kids depended on me

We'd starve to death a long time ago hadn't been for ole blue

Blues mold hound dog and he's a good in two

He'll catch them coons where there ain't no coons he'll see us through

This trouble and strife in the way of life called poverty

Poverty is a broken down shack...

[ harmonica ]

Poverty is a workin' six days from dawn to dusk

Seventh day is Sunday and go to church you must

When they pass their heads around you just sit there with your head hung down

Cause you ain't got between you and the devil and the deep blue see

It's trouble and strife in the way of life called poverty

It's trouble and strife in the way of life called poverty