"MOM IT'S JUST A WAYS FROM HERE,
 I MET AH NEW FRIEND,I NAMED HIM JIMMY-JIM
ALL WE DO IS FISH AND SWIM"!

"WE JEST THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY
AH MAKIN UP AH NAME
SHOOT ,HE DID THE VERY SAME"!

"HE CALLED ME BILLY-JO",
SAID "KNOW ONE CARES
AND KNOW ONE WILL EVER KNOW"!

"SO MOM CAN I GO
 DOWN ON PREASTERS LAKE"
WELL SON,"I'M FEARED YEA MIGHT DROWN
  OR YEA COULD GET BITTEN BY AN OLE SNAKE

AH MOM YEA AN' GOT TO FRET 'CAUSE PAW TAUGHT ME WELL
'BOUT ALL THE OTHER CRITTERS
AND YEA CAN'T NEVER TELL
  'BOUT CROSSIN OVER STUMPS AND SUCH
AND SPECILLY IF YEA FELL
'BOUT HOW YEA'D BE ALONE
   NO ONE COULD HEAR YEA YELL
AND THERE'S CRITTERS EVERY WHERE
 IF YEA'D STOP AND THINK
THERE JEST LIKE YOU YOU SEE
  THEY ALL HAVE TO DRINK

"WELL OFF YEA GO AND DONT BE LATE"!
"SUPPER'S AT FIVE AND YEA PAW WON'T WAIT"!

"HAVE YEA DONE YEA CHORS"
"YES MAM I DID I'AS UP AHFORE THE SUN
AH'CAUSE I KNEW ME AND OLE JIMMY-JIM
  WE'D PLANNED TO HAVE SOME FUN

"HEY THERE OH JIMMY-JIM,YEA OLE SON OF AH GUN
DID YEA BRING SOME BAIT AND THAT OLD FISHIN POLE
 AH'CAUSE WE'LL CATCH OLE GRANDAD
IN THE DROP OFF THAT I KNOW
I GOT SOME BIG OLE WORMS
  IN MOM'S GARDEN WHERE IT'S BEST
BUT IF SHE HAD AH CAUGHT ME
  MY REAR WOULD BE A MESS

WELL THERE BILLY-JOE
"YEA LONGHAIRED HILLBILLY"
THEM THERE PANTS THAT EYA AH WEARIN
  THEY LOOKIN KINDA SILLY
BUT I GOT JUST THE THING 
  TO CATCH THAT OH GRANDADDY
CALVES LIVER THAT AH ROTTEN
  TO FILL HIS BIG OH BELLEY

YAUNDER BY THE WILLOW TREE
  ASIDE THE BERRY PATCH
IF WE BOTH DROP OUR BAIT
  MAYBE WE'LL CATCH
THAT OLE GRANDADDY OF AH CATFISH
  WE ALL HEARD ABOUT
I REMEMBER PAW AH TALKIN
  KINDA IN AH SHOUT
'BOUT THE DAY HE HOOKED HIM
  AND HOW HE WAS SO STOUT
HE FOUGH SO HARD HE BROKE PAW'S POLE
  THERE WAS OTIN HE COULD DO
PAW SAID."WELL SON AS FAR AS FISHIN"
  "THAT DID IT"! I'M THROUGH

PAW SWORE UP AND DOWN
  HE'S THE BIGGEST CATFISH EVER
BUT HE AN'T BEEN HERE THIS LONG
  "HE'S AH VERY CLEVER-FELLER"!

A FEW MONTHS LATER 
  ME AND OLE JIMMJY-JIM
WE CAUGHT THAT BID OH SON OF SH GUN
  "IT TOOK US BOTH TO REEL EM IN"!

WE STOOD THERE OUR MOUTHS WIDE OPEN 
  AND I BEGAN TO THINK
WHEN WE CAME BACK TO PREASTERS LAKE
  OH GRANDAD,HE'D BE FORGOTTEN
SO ME AND JIMMY-JIM SAID
  WE'LL JEST LET EM GO
NO TELLIN HOW MUCH BIIGER HE'LL BE
  IN AH YEAR OR SO

JUST COMIN HERE STILL KNOWIN 
  OLE GRANDAD WAS STILL HERE
WOULD HE REMEMBER
OR WOULD HE EVEN CARE

I'LL HAVE TO SAY OLE BILLY-JOE
  WE CAN TELL EVER ONE IN TOWN
ABOUT THE DAY WE CAUGHT GRANDAD
  AND HAD EM ON THE GROUND
AT LEAST IT'S SOMETHING WELL KNOW
  MAY EVEN TELL OUR SON
' BOUT THE GOOD TIME WHEN
  WE CAUGHT THAT OLE SON OF AH GUN!

JIMMY-JIM WAS 14
  I WAS ONE YEAR OLDER
'BOUT THE TIME WAS BROKE OUT
HE WENT OFF TO BE AH SOILDER

I NEVER KNEW THE REASON 
  FIGERED HE'D EXPLAIN
BUT HE WAS GONE BEFORE I KNEW IT
  THOUGHT HE'S LOST HIS BRAIN

THEN ONE DAY SOME MEN CAME BY
  AND PAW WAS ALL UPSET
PAW WAS REALLY ANGRY
  HE'D NEVER BEEN THIS MAD
SAID "THEY'S TAKIN PEOPLES LIVES
  AND VER THING THEY HAD
"THEY BEEN AH FUDDIN
  OVER THINGS I CAN;T FORGET"
TREATED THEM THERE NEGRO'S WORSE THAN YOU'D TREAT AH MULE
HE LEFT THAT DAY,SAID GOOD BYE,
THAT IT WAS JUST TOO CRUEL

'BOUT TWO MONTHS OR SO WENT BY
  THERE WAS AH KNOCKIN AT THE DOOR
AH BIG BLACKMAN IN AH SOILDERS SUIT 
  ONE LIKE I'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE
HE SAID,"I'M VERY SORRY TO TELL YOU
  YOUR DAD WAS SHOT"! "HE'S DEAD"!!
I WAS BY HIS SIDE WHEN HE DIED, HERE'S JUST WHAT HE SAID,
I SAT HIM UP AND HELD HIM
HE WAS JUST TOO WEAK
WITH ALL LEFT INSIDE OF HIM
HE COULD BARELY SPEAK
"PLEASE GIVE MY WIFE AND SON MY LOVE
  I SWORE TO HIM I WOULD
TELL THEM "I'LL ALWAYS BE WATCHIN
  FROM SOME WHERE UP ABOVE"!

TEARS WERE FALLIN DOWN MOM'S FACE
  I THANKED THE MAN SO KIND
I GUESS I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND
  NO REASON I COULD FIND
MY PAW HE WAS AH GOOD MAN
  JUST WHY HE HAD TO DIE
RIGHT THEN AND THERE I MADE UP MY MIND
  SOON I'D SAY GOOD BYE!

WE NEVER GOT TO SEE THE GRAVE
  WE ONLY KNEW THE WHERE AH 'BOUTS
THEY SAID HE WAS A BRAVE MAN
  OF THAT WE HAD NO DOUBTS

"I'VE MADE UP MY MIND MOM"!
I WAS STANDING AT THE DOOR
  I GOT TOGO AND FIGHT
"I JEST CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE"!!

MOM PLEADED AS I WALKED AWAY
 I SAID "I LOVE YOU DEAR"
DON'T YOU WORRY NONE NOW
  "ILL BE BACK RIGHT HERE"

ON MY WAY AND ONE LAST TIME
  DOWN ON PREASTERS LAKE
JUST SITTIN TOSSIN ROCKS
THINKIN,WAS THIS AH BIG MISTAKE
  AND JUST HOW THINGS CHANGE OVER NIGHT
ONE DAY YOUR AH FISHIN
THE NEXT DAY YOU FIGHT

THEN SEEMED I HEARD OLE JIMMY-JIM
  AH SAYIN "BILLY JOE"
"LETS SEE IF WE CAN CATCH SOME FISH
  YOU OH SO N SO"!
I LOOKED ALL ROUND,NO ONE IN SIGHT
  MUST HAVE BEEN THE WIND
BUT I KNOW I'D NEVER FORGET THE VOICE
  OF MY DEAREST FRIEND

IT WERN'T TOO FAR TO WHERE THE MEN
  ALL GATHERED TO SIN IN
TO FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS
  MOM SAID THAT IT WAS SIN

BUT FOR ME IT DIDNT MATTER
  IT WAS ONLY HATE
THEY KILLED MY PAW AND THAT WAS ALL
  I COULDN'T HARDLY WAIT
NOTHIN SEEMED TO MATTER 
  THEY HAD KILLED MY PAW
HE WAS JEST AH GOOD MAN
"I WOODA KILLED THEM ALL

WITHIN TWO DAYS I WAS THERE
THE MEN WERE REALLY MAD
TALKIN 'BOUT HOW THE NORTH
  HAD BURNT DOWN ALL THEY HAD

THEN I LOOKED AND THERE HE STOOD 
  SOME IMPORTANT SOILDER
THE ONE WHO HAD CAME BY
  DRESSED IN ALL HIS ARMOUR

THEY SAID HIS NAME IS DOUGLASS
HE PRINTED HIS OWN PAPERS
'BOUT ALL THE KILLINS
'OUT ALL THE CAPERS

I WALKED RIGHT UP TO HIM
HE SAID"STAND AT ATTENTION"!!
  I DIDN'T KNOW THE RULES 
NO ONE HAD EVEN MENTIONED

"I WAS JUST AH WONDERIN SIR",
"DO YOU REMEMBER ME",
"I RECON THAT I DO SON"
  "YOUR HERE TO BE AH SOILDER"
SEEIN'S WHAT THEY DONE TO YOU
  AND HOW THEY KILLED YOUR FATHER
WHAT WILL YOUR MOTHER DO
  SEEIN'S YOUR THE LAST
SOMETIMES WERE BETTER OF SON
  JUST TO FORGET THE PAST

BUT IF YOUR SO DETERMINED
 AND YOU WON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND
THERE IS A NEED FOR YOU SON
FALL IN AND STAY IN LINE

WE TRAVELED FOR 'BOUT TWO DAYS
  HEADED FOR NEAR HOME
I KNEW MOST OF THESE PARTS
  I COULD HAVE GONE ALONE
ME AND OLE JIMMY-JIM
  HUNTED EVERYWHERE
ANYTHING FROM SQUIRELL
  TO AH BIG BUCK DEER

THEN A SCOUT CAME AH RUNNIN
SAYIN THERE'S A WHOLE PLATOON
WE CAN SURLEY TAKE UM
JUST BEFORE IT'S NOON

WE MADE SURE OF OUR GUNS
 GETTIN READY FOR THE FIGHT
WE FOUGHT HARD ALL THAT DAY
  PLUM ON INTO THE KNIGHT

I KNOW I HAD HIT TWO OR THREE
  MY SHOOTIN WAS JUST FINE
AH'CAUSE ME AND JIMMY-JIM
  WE PRACTICED ALL THE TIME

THEN I SAW ONE STANDIN
  BEHIND AN OLE OAK TREE
I TOOK DED AIM, BUT IT WAS DARK
HE WAS CLOSE TO ME

I KNEW THAT I HAD HIT HIM 
  I WENT TO BE FORSURE
I COULD HEAR HIM GROANIN
  HIS PAIN I WOULD CURE

LAYIN THERE ON THERE FACE DOWN
  HE HAD HEARD ME THERE
HE TURNED UP ON HIS SIDE
 WITH A CERTIAN KIND AH STARE

YOU DIRTY ROTTEN SON AH BITCH
  YAU'LL UP AN KILLED MY PAW
NOW YOUR GONNA PAY
  NOW YOUR NOT SO TALL

THEN THERE CAME A VOICE 
ONE I KNEW SO WELL
BILLY JOE IS THAT YOU
  MY EYES BEGAN TO SWELL
JIMMY-JIM IS THAT YOU
  THIS JUST CAN'T BE SO
I GOT TO GET YOU OUTTA HERE
  SO NO ONE ELSE WILL KNOW

OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
  I DROPPED DOWN BY HIS SIDE
NOTHIN REALLY MATTERED NOW
  I'D LOST ALL MY PRIDE

"I'VE GOT TO GET YOU OUT OF HERE
WE HAVE GOT TO HIDE!!
  AND I WON'T LEAVE YOU HERE
I WONT LEAVE YOUR SIDE

I CARRIED JIMMY-JIM
  NOT KNOWING JUST FOR SURE
WHERE TO GO OR WHAT TO DO
GOD HELP ME TO INDURE

MY HEART WAS AH POUNDING
  I WAS OUT AH BREATH
I BARELY HAD THE STRENGTH
  BUT I COULDN'T BARE HIS DEATH

THEN I SEEN JUST WHERE I WAS
  DOWN ON PREASTERS LAKE
MOM WOULD TAKE CARE OF HIM
  IT HAD TO BE FATE

MOM IT'S ME AND JIMMY JIM
HE'S BEEN HURT REAL BAD
I FINALLY MADE IT HOME
  I'D GAVE IT ALL I HAD

THE NIGHT WAS LNG UP ALL NIGHT
  MOM DOIND ALL SHE COULD
"IT;S ALL UP TO GOD NOW
JUST PRAY SON THAT HE WOULD
  BRING YOUR FRIEND BACK TO LIFE
I KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS
  YOU LOST YOUR PAW TO LOOSE YOUR FRIEND
    JUST AN'T RIGHT IT SEEMS

WELL ME AND JIMMY-JIM
  ARE DOWN ON PREASTERS LAKE
WE HAD SUMMED IT UP HOW THAT
  IT WAS ALL AH BIG MISTAKE
BROTHERS FIGHTIN BROTHERS
FRIENDS AH FIGHTIN FRIENDS
  NOT KNOWING WHERE IT STARTED
NEVER KNOWING WHERE ONE ENDS

BUT IF YOUR REAL,REAL LUCKY
  YOU WON'T HAVE TO GO
OFF TO WAR AH SHOOTIN 
SOMEONE THAT YOU LOVE SO

AND OLE GRANDAD HE'S STILL AROUND
BUT HE WON'T TAKE THE BAIT
  AND OUR TWO SON'S SAY
"HE AN'T HERE"!!
JUST LIKE THEIR GRANDPA
  THEY HATE TO WAIT

AND I KNOW MY PAW'S A WATCHIN
  WITH A BIG OH GRIN
AT THEM TWO BOYS AH WATIN
  FOR THAT CATFISH TO BITE AGAIN!!