Well, at birth mom and papa called their little boy Ned
He raised him on the banks of a river bed
On a houseboat tied to a big tall tree
A home for my papa and my mama and me

The clock strikes three and papa jumps to his feet
Already mama's cooking papa something to eat
At half past, papa he's ready to go
He jumps in his pirogue headed down the bayou

He's got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana rivers
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
He's setting traps in the swamp, catching anything he can
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man

My Muskrat hides hanging by the dozens
Even got a lady mink, a muskrat's cousin
Got 'em out drying in the hot, hot sun
Tomorrow papa's gonna turn 'em into money

Well, they call mama Rita and my daddy Jack
Little baby brother on the floor, that's Mack
Bren and Lin are the family twins
And big brother Eddie's on the bayou fishing

On the river floats papa's great big boat
And that's how my papa goes into town
It takes him every bit of a night and a day
To even reach a place where the people stay

And I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around
That's the day my papa takes his furs to town
Papa promised me that I could go
He'd even let me see a cowboy show

I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then
I told my pop I've gotta go again
Well, Papa said, "Son we've got lines to run
We'll come back again but first there's work to be done"

He's got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana rivers
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
He's setting traps, he's in the swamp
He's catching anything he can
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man

Gotta make a living, he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a living, Louisiana man