Daddy's Moonshine Still

(Dolly Parton)



Folks say my daddy wasn't much of a man

For disobeying the laws of the land

Folks say that my daddy wasn't fit to kill

Oh, and I know it was true what the people said

But we'd all've been better of dead

Than to live a life of shame and strife

'Cause of daddy's moonshine still.



My mama was always sweet and kind

But she grew old before her time

Worryin' about the way we had to live

Yeah, my daddy put the wrinkles in my mama's face

He drunk his share of all he made

And just one more reason I grew to hate my daddy's moonshine still.



Chorus:

Daddy's moonshine still was good for nothin'

But to break mama's heart

And to tear our home apart

Make our lives a livin' hell.



Them old mason jars that daddy made us wash

And set them out to sun on our back porch

'Til he got ready to take 'em up on the hill

And when daddy got word of the revenue

He made us kids help hide his brew

Made us swear that we never knew about daddy's moonshine still.



Yeah, and two of my brothers drove across the state line

Once a week with a load of moonshine

And the wounds that came from that won't ever heal

Cause on a moonshine run one rainy night

My two brothers lost their lives

And oh my god how I despise my daddy's moonshine still.



Chorus:

Daddy's moonshine still was good for nothin'

But to break mama's heart

And to tear our home apart

Make our lives a livin' hell.



Well, it broke mama's heart but she understood

The day that I left home for good

But I had to find me another way to live

Well I sent mama money nearly every day

And how I made it, well I'd rather not say

But at least it took me far away from daddy's moonshine still.



My bootlegging daddy was known quite well

And he made our home a livin' hell

And I ain't forgot it and I know that I never will

My mama finally died she just gave up

And daddy finally died from drinkin' that stuff

And bad memories haunt the rest of us from daddy's moonshine still.



Chorus:

Daddy's moonshine still was good for nothin'

But to break mama's heart

And to tear our home apart

Make our lives a livin' hell...