Pickin¹ Time

­­Johnny Cash ca. 1958

I got cotton in the bottom land

It¹s up, and it¹s growin¹, and I gotta good stand

My good wife and them kids of mine

Gonna get new shoes come pickin¹ time

Get new shoes come pickin¹ time

Every night when I go to bed

I thank the Lord that my kids are fed

They live on beans eight days or nine

But I¹ll get Œem fat come pickin¹ time

Get Œem fat come pickin¹ time

The corn is yellow and the beans are high

The sun is hot in the summer sky

The work is hard till layin¹ by

Layin¹ by till pickin¹ time

Layin¹ by till pickin¹ time

It¹s hard to see by the coal oil light

And I blow it out pretty early at night

A jug of coal oil costs a dime

But I¹ll stay up late come pickin¹ time

Stay up late come pickin¹ time

My ol¹ wagon barely gets me to town

I patched the wheels and I watered Œem down

I keep her in shape so she¹ll be fine

To haul my cotton come pickin¹ time

Haul my cotton come pickin¹ time

Last Sunday mornin¹ when they passed the hat

It was still nearly empty back where I sat

But the preacher smiled and he said, ³That¹s fine,

The Lord will wait till pickin¹ time.²

The Lord will wait till pickin¹ time.