Back Road Into Town - The Staple Singers

I asked Mama many times

What kept Papa so far behind

What in the world was holding my Daddy down?

Papa always dropped his head

Lord, he seemed so afraid

Like he was carryin' a heavy burden all the time

There was a man up in the big house

But Papa was afraid to speak out

The man kept my Daddy’s nose right on the ground

Girl, your Papa he was mighty good

He was doin' the best he could

All his life he lived just for you

But twelve kids, he had a heavy load

He couldn’t walk the front road

On his face he always wore a frown

It was for you and the others too

He was tryin' to make it through

He had to take the back road into town

Every year your Papa would say

«Next year, we gonna move away

I wanna take my children away from here»

He said «I've almost lost my fear

I think I see my way clear

I’m gonna take a stand and be a man»

But then the man would come from the big house

Daddy would always back out

And end right up again behind the plow

But twelve kids, he had a heavy load

He couldn’t walk the front road

On his face he always wore a frown

It was for you and the others too

He was tryin' to make it through

He had to take the back road into town

When he finally made up his mind

Your Daddy had wasted too much time

Your Papa just put it off a little too long

'Cause all the years that Papa was sleepin'

Father Time kept right on creepin'

'Til it was time for him to lay his body down

He did it all against his will

He got lost back in them fields

My Daddy never made it into town

Twelve kids, he had a heavy load

He couldn’t walk the front road

On his face he always wore a frown

It was for you and the others too

He was tryin' to make it through

He had to take the back road into town

Mmm, twelve kids, he had a heavy load

He couldn’t walk the front road

On his face he always wore a frown

It was for you and the others too

He was tryin' to make it through

He had to take the back road into town

Ohh twelve kids, he had a heavy load

He couldn’t walk the front road