On the Bread Line

My Daddy was a miner Way back in 69 He left home at the crack of dawn Left us to walk the line On Sundays we’d go to church Then home to do our chores While Mama cooked us something good Cheap cuts from the stores We lived on the bread line... didn’t have no fancy clothes On the bread line... it’s the way life goes Out on the bread line... don’t get to pick or choose My Daddy came home Friday night’s, Lord he stank of booze Mondays we’d trot off to school Our satchels on our backs Come rain or shine we always walked We followed railroad tracks When we got home we were half starved But Ma she came up trumps Peanut butter sandwiches My brother spat the lumps We lived on the bread line... didn’t have no fancy clothes On the bread line... it’s the way life goes On the bread line... don’t get to pick or choose My Daddy came home Friday nights, Lord he stank of booze Tom & I’d go out to play Until the sky drew dark Chasing round like lunatics Shooting guns that sparked We got home all by our selves Then scrubbed off daily grime Said goodnight to Ma & Dad Then into bed we climbed We lived on the bread line... didn’t have no fancy clothes On the bread line... it’s the way life goes On the bread line... don’t get to pick or choose My Daddy came home Friday nights, Lord he stank of booze We often got into a fight When people called us names But mostly we were happy Playing childhood games We never went without at all But Ma saved every penny There was always love in our house We were luckier than many . We lived on the bread line... didn’t have no fancy clothes On the bread line... it’s the way life goes On the bread line... don’t get to pick or choose My Daddy came home Friday nights, Lord he stank of booze