There's a way of life that most folks don't even know about
When the cotton crop fails and the garden dries up because of the drought
And your only clothes're hangin' on your back and they're all wornout
And there's patches on the patches on your knees

The night wind whistles through the cracks and holes in the bedroom walls
The high water comes and it takes your house barn and all
You work like a dog to raise a fat hog and he dies in the fall
It's trouble and strife in the way of life called poverty
Poverty is a broken down shack and a greedy landlord
And your money crop beaten down by the summer storm
And you never see Washington's head on a greenback dollar
Poverty is a wishing to the Lord that you've never been born
[ steel ]
Try to catch a rabbit in a knee deep snow for somethin' to eat
But all you catch is a winter cough and frozen feet
The rabbits done gone and you gotta go home without any meat
Wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't six kids depended on me
We'd starve to death a long time ago hadn't been for ole blue
Blues mold hound dog and he's a good in two
He'll catch them coons where there ain't no coons he'll see us through
This trouble and strife in the way of life called poverty
Poverty is a broken down shack...
[ harmonica ]
Poverty is a workin' six days from dawn to dusk
Seventh day is Sunday and go to church you must
When they pass their heads around you just sit there with your head hung down
Cause you ain't got between you and the devil and the deep blue see
It's trouble and strife in the way of life called poverty
It's trouble and strife in the way of life called poverty