Help Me, Jesus. I Know What I

My Mother Was Determined That I Was Going To Leave The Farm And Do Well In Life. And She Thought With The Gift, I Might Be Able To Do That. So She Took In Washing. She Got A Washing Machine In 1942 As Soon As We Got Electricity And She Took In Washing. She Washed The Schoolteacher's Clothes And Anybody She Could And Sent Me For Singing Lessons For $3 Per Lesson.

You Have To Be What You Are. Whatever You Are, You Gotta Be It.

After About Three Lessons [my] Voice Teacher Said, "don't Take Voice Lessons. Do It Your Way. You're A Song Stylist. Always Do It Your Way."

I Read Novels But I Also Read The Bible. And Study It, You Know? And The More I Learn, The More Excited I Get.

My Daddy Left Home When I Was Three And He Didn't Leave Much To Ma And Me, Just This Old Guitar And An Empty Bottle Of Booze.