Billy Ray picked
cotton, Dog - tired when he got done
As a boy of just
eleven, Share cropper's only son
Morn' to dusk he
labored, In the heat six days a
week
No time for school
or learnin', Poor English he could
speak
His papa was a
poor man, And his mama she was
gone
She died when he
was seven, Tho' time don't seem
that long
Now Billy he worked
hard, Always did what he was told
He knew no other
life, For his age was much too
old
One day while pickin'
cotton, Saw a rider passin' by
Who sat a horse,
a Morgan, 'bout 15 hands held high
A stranger he was
certain, With a Bible in his hand
First time he'd seen
a Preacher, First time a Godly man
He nodded o'er to
Billy, And walked to where he stood
To invite him to
Revival, 'Would he be there if he
could ?'
That night he told
his papa, All that Preacher had to
say
But papa had no
answers, He was tired and worn each
day
When Sunday came 'twas
raining, When Billy woke at dawn
Saw papa in the
kitchen, Said good mornin' with a yawn
They lived in Alabama,
Where papa's folks had grown
Their shack was barely
standin', The only home he'd known
Billy thought of Preacher,
And all that he had said
Didn't know about this
Jesus, Who had risen from the dead
But somethin' tugged
at Billy, Within his young boy heart
He had no proper
clothin', They were poor and set apart
The church was past
the cotton gin, 'Bout three miles away
Billy walked that old
dirt road, To Revival on that day
The walk was long
and dusty, His clothes had rips and
tears
For a boy of just
eleven, Bore more than he should bear
He heard the people
singin', As he walked up to the
door
Some turned and smiled
at Billy, Didn't care 'bout what he
wore
He sat next to
a woman, The age his mom would
be
And in her lap
a Bible, She was singin' happily
When Preacher started
Preachin', Young Billy was all ears
Heard things that he
had never heard, His face soon wet
from tears
God's Holy Spirit workin',
Billy thought his heart would break
That empty hole was
hurtin', Not much more could he take
When altar call was
started, He knew what he must
do
For he had heard
the Gospel, And he wanted Salvation
too
He walked o'er to
the Preacher, and knelt upon his knees
He called out to
his Saviour, "Dear Jesus Save me please"
That day 'twas a
Revival, With one heart now brand
new
Now Billy he was
Born Again, A 'new creature' was he
too
When the day came
that his papa, Walked thru' that open
door
Billy turned and smiled
at him, Now heaven holds one more
Many years have come
and gone, Still works those cotton
fields
To pass the time
he sings those songs, Got lots of
fruit to yield
