At first Mom an' Poppa called their little girl, Lady They raised her on the banks of a river bed A house boat tied to a big, tall tree A home for my Poppa an' my Momma and me The clock strikes three Poppa jumps to his feet Already Momma's cookin' Poppa somethin' to eat At half-past Poppa he's a-ready to go He jumps in his pirogue headed down the bayou He's got fishin' line strung across the Louisiana River Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat He's settin' his traps catchin' anythin' he can He's gotta make a livin', he's a Louisiana man Gotta make a livin', he's a Louisiana man Muskrat hides hangin' by the dozen Even got a little bitty muskrat cousin Got 'em out dryin' in the hot, hot sun Tomorrow Poppa's gonna turn 'em into mon' They call Momma Rita and my Daddy Jack My little baby brother on the floor that's Mac Rhett and Lynn are the family twins Big brother Eddie's on the bayou fishin' On the river floats Poppa's great big boat That's how me and Poppa get in to town It takes every bit of a night and day To even reach a place where the people will stay Oh, I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around That's the day my Poppa takes the furs to town Poppa done promised me that I could go He'd even let me see a cowboy show I saw the cowboys and injuns for the first time then I told my Poppa "Gotta go again" Poppa says "Hon', we got lines to run We'll have to come again 'cause there's work to be done" He's got fishin' line strung across the Louisiana River Got a catch a big fish for us to eat He's settin' his traps catchin' anythin' he can Gotta make a livin', he's a Louisiana man Gotta make a livin', he's a Louisiana man