Old Black Kettle Lyrics - Porter Wagoner

I remember when I was just little mama used to cook in an old black kettle 

On an old wood stove she'd had since she was wed 

Now the oven door was sprung a little bit 

So we propped it up with a forkhead stick 

That didn't matter cause mama kept us fed 

My mama and daddy must've loved each other 

Cause I had a bunch of sisters and brothers 

The girls worked just as hard as us boys did 

There was corn to hoe we'd go hoe it we might've been poor but we didn't know it 

We'd heard that word but we didn't know what it meant 

Oh didn't we have such a good life 

And the days that I knew then are the happiest I've known 

Oh didn't we have such a good time 

You know it's sad to think the old black kettle's gone 

The old black kettle's gone the old black kettle's gone 

[ guitar ] 

Now there wasn't nothin' that pleased us any better 

Than when we'd get an occasional letter 

From kinfolks livin' up north in some big town 

We'd think of all the games we'd play and we just couldn't hardly wait 

When our city cousins said they was a comin' down 

Now mama's done away with the old black kettle 

She used to cook in when I was just little 

And the door ain't sprung on her new electric range 

And that little old farm and home we had it ain't there no more and that's too bad 

Folks're doin' away with the simple things 

Oh didn't we have... 

Folks're doin' away with most of the simple things