Pickin’ wasn’t easy
Kept you brown and thin
Been a child for every season
that the fruit was on the limb
Pack the truck Maria,
tell the kids we’re off again
Cross a dozen states or more,
we’ll teach em’ what we can.
Teach ‘em what we can,
we can’t do more
The land is good but still the livin’s poor
Harvest in September, drought in mid-July
January’s peekin’
through a white lace gypsy sky
March rolls in to April,
then plant and pray for rain
Sweat like hell in August,
run the circle once again
Run the circle once again and then once more
The land is good but still the livin’s poor

Oregon in August, Michigan in May
Tryin’ to make enough
to keep my family on its way
And you buy the pickin’ boss a drink,
to keep workin’ every day
You know it isn’t honest,
but you do it anyway
Do it any way to keep alive
Do it anyway to keep alive