Tuning: E A D G B E

^GI never picked cotton

Like my mother did and my brother did And my sister did and my daddy died young

^D7Working in a coal ^Gmine

When I was just a baby Too little for the cotton sack I played in the dirt while the others worked

Till they ^D7couldn't straighten their ^Gbacks

And I made my self a promise When I was old enough to run That I'd never stay a single day

^D7In that Oklahoma ^Gsun

^GI never picked cotton

Like my mother did and my brother did And my sister did and my daddy died young

^D7Working in a coal ^Gmine

Folks said that I grew up early And the farm couldn't hold me then So I stole ten bucks and a pick up truck

And ^D7I never went back ^Gagain

And it was fast cars and whiskey Long legged girls and fun I had everything that money could bring

And ^D7I took it all with a ^Ggun

^GI never picked cotton

Like my mother did and my brother did And my sister did and my daddy died young

^D7Working in a coal ^Gmine

It was Saturday night in Memphis When a redneck grabbed my shirt And he said go back to your cotton sack

I ^D7left him lying in the ^Gdirt

And they'll take me in the morning To the gallows just outside And in the time I've got there ain’t a hell of a lot

I ^D7can look back on with ^Gpride

^GI never picked cotton

Like my mother did and my brother did And my sister did and I’ll never die young

^D7Working in a coal ^Gmine

Roy Clark - I never picked cotton