At first mom and papa called their little boy Ned
Raised him on the banks of the river bed
A houseboat tied to a big big tree
A home for my papa and my mama and me

The clock strikes three papa jumps to his feet
Already mama's cooking papa somethin' to eat
At half past papa he's ready to go
Jumps in his piro headed down the bayou

He's got fishin' lines strung across the Louisiana River
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
He set his crops in the swamps catchin' anythin' he can
Tryin' to make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man

Muskart hides a hangin' by the dozen
Even got a lady make a muskart's cousin
Pile of hide dryin' in the hot hot sun
Tomorrow papa's gonna turn them into mon

They call mama Rita and my daddy Jack
A little baby brother on the floor that's Mac
Rynn and Lynn are the family twins
Big brother Ed's on the bayou fishin'

On the river float papa's great big boat
That's for my papa goes into town
He takes every bit of the night and day
Then ever reach the place where the people stay

I can hardly wait when tomorrow comes around
That's the day papa takes his fure to town
Papa promised me that I could go
He said we'll go to see a cowboy show

I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then
I told my papa gotta go again
Papa said son we got the lines to run
We'll go again soon but there's work to be done

Fishin' lines strung across the Louisiana River...