Bobbie Gentry
Papa’s Medicine Show
[Verse 1]
It doesn't seem so long ago when Papa had his medicine show
All the family had a part, I still know them all by heart
Everywhere we traveled we sang that little song
Just sold enough liniment to barely get along
[Chorus]
One bottle, two bottle, three bottle, four
Mama looks twenty but she's really eighty-four
Look at Papa fiddle, just listen to him play
Had a touch of rheumatism just the other day
But he threw away his water bottle, put away his pill
Aunt Purdy's liniment has cured all his ills
[Verse 2]
One year in Oklahoma Papa was gettin' old
There wasn't much demand for medicine shows
I still can hear us singin' to a dwindlin' crowd that spring
We didn't know that it would be the last time we would sing
[Chorus]
One bottle, two bottle, buy it by the quart
Uncle John used it on his foot and cured a wart
All you people sittin' here in the front row
Don't you wanna try it? It'll cure a sore toe
Throw away your water bottle, put away your pill
Aunt Purdy's liniment'll cure all your ills
[Verse 3]
Papa started ailin' and passed away that fall
We all had to pick cotton to pay the funeral hall
I never got much schoolin', but I learned one thing for sure
There are things in this old life Aunt Purdy's couldn't cure
[Chorus]
One bottle, two bottle, three bottle, four
Mama looks twenty but she's really eighty-four
Look at Papa fiddle, just listen to him play
Had a touch of rheumatism just the other day
But he threw away his water bottle, put away his pill
Aunt Purdy's liniment has cured all his ills
One bottle, two bottle, buy it by the quart
Uncle John used it on his foot and cured a wart
All you people sittin' here in the front row
Don't you wanna try it? It'll cure a sore toe
Throw away your water bottle, put away your pill
Aunt Purdy's liniment'll cure all your ills
[Outro]
One bottle, two bottle, three bottle, four
Mama looks twenty but she's really eighty-four
Look at Papa fiddle, just listen to him play
Had a touch of rheumatism just the other day