My driftin’ memory goes back to the spring of fortythree
When I was just a child in Mama’s arms
My Daddy plowed the ground and prayed some day he could leave
This run down mortgaged Oklahoma farm
And then one night I heard my Daddy sayin’ to my Mama
That he’d finally saved enough to go
California was his dream of paradise for he had seen
Pictures in magazines that told him so

California cotton fields
Where labor camps were filled with worried men with broken dreams
California cotton fields
As close to wealth as Daddy ever came

Almost everything we had was sold or left behind
From my Daddy’s plow to the fruit that Mama canned
Some folks came to say farewell and see what all we had to sell
Some just came to shake my Daddy’s hand
Eh the Model A was loaded down and California bound
And change in luck was just four days away
But the only change that I remember seeing for my Daddy
Was when his dark hair turned to silver gray

[1] My driftin’ memory [5] goes back to the [^b7] spring of forty-[4]-three
When [1] I was just a child in Mama’s [5] arms
My [1] Daddy plowed the [5] ground and prayed [^b7] some day he could [4] leave
This [1] run down mortgaged [5] Oklahoma [1] farm
And [5] then one night I heard my Daddy [4] sayin’ to my [1] Mama
[2maj] That he’d finally saved enough to [5] go
[1] California [5] was his dream of [^b7] paradise for [4] he had seen
[1] Pictures in [5] magazines that [1] told him so

Cali-[4]-fornia [5] cotton fields
Where [4] labor camps were [5] filled with worried [4] men with broken [1] dreams
Cali-[4]-fornia [5] cotton fields
As [4] close to wealth as [5] Daddy ever [1] came

Almost everything we had was sold or left behind
From my Daddy’s plow to the fruit that Mama canned
Some folks came to say farewell and see what all we had to sell
Some just came to shake my Daddy’s hand
Eh the Model A was loaded down and California bound
And change in luck was just four days away
But the only change that I remember seeing for my Daddy
Was when his dark hair turned to silver gray