i was born a way back in the hills in a shack the oldest child of ten on one hot and sultry day mama got sick and passed away giving birth to baby brother ben i stood there and i cried as i watched my mama die i guess i was too young to understand papa didn t shed a tear or even really seem to care i thought it was because he was a man when mama was laid to rest pa said jeannie do your best i m leaving but i won t be gone long the town was many miles away where papa seemed to want to stay so soon after mama had gone then it was work jeannie work jeannie work jeannie work the hard times had just begun yes it s work jeannie work jeannie work jeannie work for jeannie there was no fun papa started drinking wine and chasing women all the time and living off the fat of the land we children did the best we could milked the cows and chopped the wood and ate what mama left us canned one day the sheriff walked in to notify the next of kin papa was run over by a train it had been almost a year since papa left us here we were sorry but really felt no pain the sheriff said that day children can t live this way said he d send someone to take us into town that night i said goodbye my little brothers and sisters cried but i ran away so far i d not be found and now it s run jeannie run jeannie run jeannie run jeannie s gonna find some fun yes it s run jeannie run jeannie run jeannie run run and find you some fun yes it s run jeannie run jeannie run jeannie