When I was a little boy
Daddy used to say to me "Son,"
"We got a lot of land
We got a lot of work to be done"

Go get your marbles, put 'em in the house
Tear down your castles in the sand
Come with your pappy to the cotton patch
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands

Get a little dirt on your hands, son
Get a little dirt on your hands
If you're gonna grow up to be a big, big man
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands

Well, I reached twenty-one
And I thought I was a pretty big wheel
I left the country for the city
Met a slicker with a shady deal

He said, "hold up the bank, boy and take all the money
And run as fast as you can
The only way you'll ever get along in this world
Is to get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands

Get a little dirt on your hands, son
Get a little dirt on your hands
If you want to grow up to be a big, big man
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands"

Well, it's four in the morning
And the warden is calling' my name
He said he's teaching' me a lesson
Now he's making' me go work in the rain

Dig that ditch, boy, fill it up
I'm wanting you to understand
The only way to straighten out a guy like you
Is to get a little dirt on his hands
Get a little dirt on his hands

Hey, David
Got to get a little dirt on those hands, boy
Yeah, if you want to grow up to be a big, big man (if you wanna grow up to be a big, big man)
You better remember what old Whispering Bill told you in his song (you got to get a little dirt on your hands)
Get a little dirt on those hands

Little dirt on your hands, son
Get a little dirt on your hands
If you want to grow up to be a big, big man
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands, son
I got a little dirt on my hands

Get a little dirt on your hands