At first mom and pap called their little boy Ned
They raised him on the banks of the river bed
A houseboat tied to a big tall tree
A home for my papa and my mama and me

The clock strikes three papa jumps to his feet
Already mama's cookin' papa somethin' to eat
At half past papa he's a ready to go
He jumps in his piro headed down the bayou

He's got fishin' lines strung across the Louisiana River
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
He set crops in the swamp catchin' everythin' he can
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man

Muskart hides a hangin' by the dozen
Even got a lady make a muskart's cousin
Pile of hide drying in the hot hot sun
Tomorrow papa's gonna turn them into mon

--- Instrumental ---

They call mama Rita and my daddy Jack
A little baby brother on the floor that's Mac
Frank and Lynn are the family twins
Big brother Ed's on the bayou fishin'
On the river float papa's great big boat
That's how my papa goes into town
He takes every bit of the night and day
Then even reach the place where the people stay

I can hardly wait till tomorrow comes around
That's the day my papa takes his fure to town
Papa promised me that I could go
Even let me see a cowboy show

I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then
I told my papa gotta go again
Papa said son we got the lines to run
We'll come back again there's work to be done

--- Instrumental ---

He's got fishin' lines strung across the Louisiana River
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
He set crops in the swamp catchin' everythin' he can
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man

Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man...