I got cotton in the bottom land
It's up and growing
And I got a good stand
My good wife and them kids of mine
Gonna get new shoes
Come picking time
Get new shoes come picking time
Every night when I go to bed
I thank the Lord that my kids are fed
They live on beans eight days and nine
But I get them fat come picking time
Get them fat come come picking time
The corn is yellow and the beans are high
The sun is hot in the summer sky
The work is hard till laying by
Laying by till picking time
Laying by till picking time
It's hard to see by the coal-oil light
And I turn it off purty early at night
Cause a jug of coal-oil costs a dime
But I stay up late come picking time
Stay up late come picking time
My old wagon barely gets me to town
I patched the wheels and I watered them down
Keep her in shape so she'll be fine
To haul my cotton come picking time
Haul my cotton come picking time
Last Sunday morning when they passed the hat
It was still nearly empty back where I sat
But the preacher smiled and said that's fine
The Lord'll wait till picking time
The Lord'll wait till picking time