When I was a little boy
My Daddy used to say to me, son
We've got a lot of big plans
And a lotta hard work to be done
Go get your marbles, put 'em in the house
Tear down your castles in the sand
Come with your pappy to the cotton patch
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands, boy
Get a little dirt on your hands
If you wanna grow up to be a big, big man
(You've gotta) get a little dirt on your hands
(You've gotta) get a little dirt on your hands
Oh well, I got to be twenty
And I thought I was a pretty big wheel
Left the country for the city
Met a slicker with a shady deal
He said, Hold up the tavern, take all the money
Run as fast as you can
If you're gonna get along in this big, bad world
You've gotta get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands, boy
Get a little dirt on your hands
If you're gonna grow up to be a big, big man
(You've gotta) get a little dirt on your hands
(You've gotta) get a little dirt on your hands
Well, now it's four in the morning
And the warden is a callin' my name
Says he's teaching' me a lesson
Gonna send me out to work in the rain
Dig that ditch, boy, chop that corn
I gotta make you understand
Only way to straighten out a guy like you
Is to get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands, boy
Get a little dirt on your hands
If you're gonna grow up to be a big, big man
(You've gotta) get a little dirt on your hands
(You've gotta) get a little dirt on your hands
(You've gotta) get a little dirt on your hands
(You've gotta) get a little dirt on your hands
(You've gotta) get a little dirt on your hands