Don’t Make Your Children Pay

Don't make your children
Don't make 'em pay for your mistakes
It ain't right, oh no listen to me, now
Don't make your children
Don't make 'em pay for your mistakes
Because they didn't ask to come here, oh no
Don't make your children
Please, don't make 'em pay
For your mistakes oh no, oh no

Seems like I can hear some mother
Sayin' to her husband right now
"Don't you know that we're down
To the last cup of flour in the barrel?"
And she said "Man, don't you know
We don't but three or four spoons
Of lard left in the can? And yet, and still
You wanna take the little money we got saved
And stay out all night and drink? You know
You haven't worked in goin' on six months
But I promised myself a long time ago
That I wouldn't leave my
Children on nobody else
I let you stay here and drink up all the rest
Of that little money that we got saved
But I'm gonna stand by my children
Stand by 'em 'til the very"
And I can see that poor
Father and some corner
With four little arms
Mumbling something to himself
And I don't know what he's sayin'
But I can imagine in my mind
I can imagine I hear him say
"I'm gonna get me a job
Early in the mornin'
I'm not gonna make my children
Pay for my mistakes"
Listen, "Because they didn't ask
To come here
And I'd be less than a father if
I made 'em pay for my mistakes"
(They didn't ask to come here) "You see
My children didn't ask to come here"
"And who knows
I might have to turn back on 'em
For a favor one day"
(They didn't ask to come here)
"You see, they they didn't
Ask to come here, oh no
And I'm not gonna make my children, ooh Lord
I'm not gonna make 'em pay, oh
Not gonna pay for my mistakes
It ain't right it ain't right"