My my my

found in a shoe box

my daddy people came from far away

mamma lived on the porch of the rich folks

my daddy had to work to pay

Alabama Mississippi Luisianna

Kentucky Texacana

I came to see what they could see

chasing their long tall tale 'bout the good life

we were told it was up route 23

black love

got from the coal mines

cancer from the steel

still my daddy love me don't you know

just to feed us kids a meal

back in the day

up route 23

Well in the midst of all this bad weather

I want you to know

it was always one good thing

but even though we couldn't eat our sorrows

but love how much that we could sing

time was a demon

that they would try to slay

guns get tied as horse shoes

that's how we used to pass the time away

back in the day

I'm talking 'bout back in the day

that's where I learned to play this here blues