POVERTY ROW

Written by Tom T. and Dixie Hall

There's just one thing harder than digging the coal
thats raising children on poverty row

A woman looked into the eyes of her daughter
says there's something you need to know
She said i've been thinkin bout your daddys drinkin
and life here on poverty row

You'd be better off moving into the city
and thats where I think you should go
Leave here today with your innocence shining
forget about poverty row

So Nellie packed up for a life in the city
and no one would mention her name
Her momma kept prayin and her daddy kept cursing
and life here was never the same

There's nothing as cold, when the winter wind blows
as hearts that are frozen on poverty row

Nellie came cryin back up to the mountain
heartbroken and heavy with child
The neighbors all peeked through the holes in the curtains
and whispered had Nell had gone wild

The sisters all ran and they hid and the celler
her momma just stood there and cried
Her daddy he cursed and he said to her momma
I'd just as soon hear that she died

Theres one thing for certain where crops will not grow
don't need no more young'uns on poverty row

Nellie gave birth to the unwelcome baby
her daddy was drinkin all night
Nell gathered up all of her meeger possessions
and left and the mornings first light

You can still hear the cries of the poor little baby
at night when the winter wind blows
Just seven pounds added to weigh on the concience
of people on poverty row

There's nothing on this earth can torture the soul
like cries of a baby on poverty row

like cries of a baby on poverty row