July the 12th, 1939

And July the 12th, it sure was a scorcher
Momma she’d fixed some lemonade
Sister Beth was sunnin' in the sunshine
And baby Coy was playin' in the shade
I looked up the road and yonder come a big car
That’s something we don’t see much around here
Big man said, «Son, where is your pappy?»
«He's over in the cornfield not far from here»
And they started talkin' over by the rail fence
It looked like poppa was a-gettin' mad
They walked to the house and poppa was a-cryin'
And poppa never cried and I knew it was bad
And two weeks later in the Logan County Courthouse
Rainin' cats and dogs outside
It sure was awful the way momma was a-cryin
They say she thought that woman had died
And poppa said, «Judge, we tried to raise us up a good boy
From a little bitty tot»
And Jody never’d go against another womans wishes
And that kind of boy I know he’s not
And you know the power of the almighty dollar
Will come out the winner every time
Willie Buchanan done got away with something
And then tried to blame that boy of mine
And July the 12th, it sure was a scorcher
And momma she’d fixed some lemonade
And sister Beth was sunnin' in the sunshine
Baby Coy was playin' in the shade