“Po’ Folks” is a country song written and performed by Bill Anderson. It was released in 1962 on his album “Bill Anderson Sings Country Heart Songs.” The song quickly became a hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
Themes
“Po’ Folks” explores the struggles and resilience of people living in poverty. It avoids stereotypes, portraying them with dignity and highlighting their hopes and dreams despite their hardships. The song’s themes include:
Poverty and its challenges: The lyrics describe the lack of material possessions, poor living conditions, and the constant struggle to make ends meet.
Strength and dignity: Despite their hardships, the song’s characters are portrayed with pride and perseverance. They find joy in simple things and hold onto hope for a better future.
Importance of family and community: The song emphasizes the importance of family and community support in overcoming challenges.
Lyrics
The song is written in the first person, with the narrator reflecting on the lives of “po’ folks.” Here’s an excerpt that captures the themes:
They live with less, they laugh with more Than any millionaire I know They got a lot of love, a little bit of hope And they struggle on through wind and snow
There’s a whole lotta people lookin’ down their noses at me ‘Cause I didn’t come from a wealthy family There was ten of us livin’ in a two room shack On the banks of the river by the railroad track
We kept chickens in a pen in the back and everybody said we was po’ folks My daddy was a farmer but all he ever raised was us Dug a forty foot well struck thirty-six gallons of dust Salvation Army give us clothes to wear a man from the county came to cut our hair
We lived next door to a millionare but we wadn’t nothin’ but po’ folks We was po’ folks livin’ in a rich folks world we sure was a hungry bunch If the wolf had ever come to our front door he’d’ve had to brought a picnic lunch My grandaddy’s pension was a dollar and thirty-three cents
That was ten dollar less than the landlord wanted for rent The landlord’s letters got nasty indeed he wrote get out but pa couldn’t read And we was too broke to even pay heed but that’s how it is when you’re po’ folks
We was po’ folks livin’ in a rich folks world we sure was a hungry bunch If the wolf had ever come to our front door he’d’ve had to brought a picnic lunch But we had something in our house money can’t buy Kept us warm in the winter cool when the sun was high
For whenever we didn’t have food enough and the howlin’ winds would get pretty rough We patched the cracks and set the table with love ‘Cause that’s what you do when you’re po’ folks and we wadn’t nothin’ but po’ folks My mom and my dad was po’ folks my brother and my sister was po’ folks
My dog and my cat was po’ folks and even the po’ folks was po’ folks
