About the song
“Song of the South” is a poignant country ballad penned by Bob McDill that paints a vivid picture of a Southern family’s struggle and eventual triumph during the Great Depression. First recorded by Bobby Bare in 1980, the song gained widespread recognition through a later cover by the iconic group Alabama, which reached number one on both the U.S. and Canadian country charts in 1988.
The song’s lyrics weave a narrative of hardship faced by a cotton farming family in the South. The harsh realities of the era are laid bare with lines like “Cotton on the roadside, cotton in the ditch. We all picked the cotton but we never got rich.” The lyrics portray the family’s unwavering spirit despite economic woes, highlighting their resilience even amidst news of Wall Street’s crash: “Well, somebody told us Wall Street fell, but we was so poor that we couldn’t tell.”
A glimmer of hope appears with the mention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, as the song references the optimism surrounding his administration with the line “The cotton was short and the weeds was tall, but Mr. Roosevelt’s gonna save us all.” However, the family experiences a personal setback when illness forces them to lose their farm: “The county got the farm and they moved to town.”
Despite these challenges, the song takes a hopeful turn as the family embraces new opportunities in a more urban setting. The father finds employment with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a government agency aimed at economic development in the region. This newfound stability allows the family to attain previously unimaginable comforts: “Well, papa got a job with the TVA, we bought a washing machine, and then a Chevrolet.”
“Song of the South” transcends mere storytelling. It captures the essence of the Southern spirit – one marked by unwavering perseverance in the face of adversity, and an ability to find hope even in hardship. The song’s enduring appeal lies in its relatable message of resilience and the enduring human desire for a better life.
Video
Lyrics
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody lookin’ back again
Cotton on the roadside, cotton in the ditch
We all picked the cotton, but we never got rich
Daddy was a veteran, a Southern Democrat
They ought to get a rich man to vote like that
Sing it
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody lookin’ back again
Well, somebody told us Wall Street fell
But we were so poor that we couldn’t tell
Cotton was short and the weeds were tall
But Mr. Roosevelt’s a-gonna save us all
Well, Mama got sick and Daddy got down
The county got the farm and we moved to town
Papa got a job with the TVA
He bought a washin’ machine and then a Chevrolet
Sing it
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody lookin’ back again
Play it
Sing it
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
(Gone) gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody lookin’ back again
Song, song of the south
(Gone) gone, gone with the wind
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Sing it
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
Ain’t nobody lookin’ back again
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
Ain’t nobody lookin’ back again
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth