Get a Little Dirt On
David Allan Coe Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

Overall Meaning

The song “Get a Little Dirt on Your Hands” by David Allan Coe is a classic country tune about the value of hard work and the idea that you need to get your hands dirty in order to succeed in life. The lyrics tell the story of a young boy who is taught by his father to work hard and get a little dirt on his hands. The father is encouraging his son to be tough and to know that hard work is the key to success. As the song progresses, we see that the singer has strayed from his father’s advice and has made some bad decisions, leading him to end up in jail. But even in prison, he is reminded that hard work is the answer and he needs to get a little dirt on his hands.


The song is a powerful reminder that success does not come easy and that it takes hard work to make it in life. The title of the song itself is a metaphor for this idea, suggesting that if you want to achieve your goals in life, you need to be willing to get your hands dirty and do what it takes to make things happen.


Overall, the song is a classic example of the values and themes that are often emphasized in traditional country music: hard work, perseverance, and the importance of family and community.


Line by Line Meaning

When I was a little boy
In my youth, during my childhood


Daddy used to say to me "Son,"
My father would speak to me and address me as his son


"We got a lot of land
Our family has a large amount of land


We got a lot of work to be done"
There is much work to do on our land


Go get your marbles, put 'em in the house
Take care of your toys and keep them safe


Tear down your castles in the sand
Abandon childish play and activities


Come with your pappy to the cotton patch
Work alongside your father in the cotton fields


Get a little dirt on your hands
Participate in manual labor and agricultural work


Get a little dirt on your hands
Participate in manual labor and agricultural work


Get a little dirt on your hands, son
Become familiar and comfortable with the demanding work that comes with our land


Get a little dirt on your hands
Participate in manual labor and agricultural work


If you're gonna grow up to be a big, big man
If you want to mature into a responsible and self-sufficient adult


Well, I reached twenty-one
In my young adult years


And I thought I was a pretty big wheel
Feeling overconfident and full of oneself


I left the country for the city
Moved from rural to urban living spaces


Met a slicker with a shady deal
Encountered an unscrupulous individual with a dubious proposal


He said, "hold up the bank, boy and take all the money
Persuaded me to rob a bank and steal its funds


And run as fast as you can
Escape quickly and avoid getting caught


The only way you'll ever get along in this world
According to this person, the only means of success is through unlawful acts


Is to get a little dirt on your hands
Engage in immoral and illegal behavior


Get a little dirt on your hands
Engage in immoral and illegal behavior


Get a little dirt on your hands, son
Partake in unscrupulous actions to achieve success


Get a little dirt on your hands
Engage in immoral and illegal behavior


If you want to grow up to be a big, big man
If you want to be successful like this person claims


Well, it's four in the morning
At a very early hour of the day


And the warden is calling' my name
The prison warden is summoning me


He said he's teaching' me a lesson
The warden intends to teach me a harsh lesson


Now he's making' me go work in the rain
The warden is forcing me to work outside in the rain


Dig that ditch, boy, fill it up
Perform arduous manual labor by digging and then filling up a ditch


I'm wanting you to understand
The warden seeks for me to learn and comprehend this lesson


The only way to straighten out a guy like you
According to the warden, this is the sole means of correcting someone like myself


Is to get a little dirt on his hands
The warden intends for me to become familiar with hard manual labor


Get a little dirt on his hands
Perform the labor-intensive work given to me


Hey, David
A direct address to David Allan Coe himself


Got to get a little dirt on those hands, boy
You, too, need to become familiar with and participate in manual labor


Yeah, if you want to grow up to be a big, big man (if you wanna grow up to be a big, big man)
Again, participating in hard work is necessary for achieving success


You better remember what old Whispering Bill told you in his song (you got to get a little dirt on your hands)
Remember the words of another song, emphasizing the importance of manual labor


Get a little dirt on those hands
Partake in manual labor to better understand it


Little dirt on your hands, son
It is vital to become knowledgeable about and proficient in manual labor


Get a little dirt on your hands
Learn how to perform manual labor efficiently


If you want to grow up to be a big, big man
This is essential for success and being self-sufficient as an adult


Get a little dirt on your hands
Participate in manual labor and become skilled in it


Get a little dirt on your hands, son
It is critical that you become familiarized with demanding physical work


I got a little dirt on my hands
I have successfully become knowledgeable about and proficient in manual labor




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL ANDERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Dr. Craphead


on Damn I Wish I Was a Nigger

The song is not by David Allan Coe

Niggerhatingme


on Nigger Hatin Me

I like sugar and I like tea
But I don't like niggers, no sir-e
There are two lone things that'll make me puke
That's a hog eating slop and a big black spook

You know it, 'cuz I show it
Like a barnyard rooster I crow it
And the NAACP would sure like to get
A hold of nigger hatin' me.

Roses are red and violets are blue
Niggers are black and you know that's true
But they don't mind 'cuz what the heck
You gotta' be black to get a welfare check.

.And I'm broke, no joke. I ain't got a nickle
For a coat and I ain't black you see, so Uncle
Sam won't help poor nigger hatin' me.

Jigga-boo Jigga-boo where are you? I was
Here on the woodpile watching you. Jigga-boo
Jigga-boo come outdoors. No! I'sa scared of the

White man way down south.

You know it, 'cuz I show it. Stick your black
Head out and I blow it and the NAACP can't keep
You away from 'lil 'ol nigger hatin' me.

Mirror mirror on the wall who is the blackest
Of them all? A man named King it ain't no doubt
And he's causin' lots of trouble with his baboon
Mouth. Oh no it's he's a done it, caused by the
Trouble he's a brewin' and the NAACP can't win if
The white man stick with nigger hatin' me.

Hey Mr. President what'd ya say? When are we
Whites gonna have our day? The niggers've had
Theirs for such a long long time. I'm a white
And it's time that I had mine.

You know it, 'cuz I show it. Stick your black head
Out and I blow it and the NAACP can't win if the
White man stick with nigger hatin' me.

Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'

All true, how's the death count in chimpcago? https://heyjackass.com/

Ben - Moderator


on Nigger hatin me

Jigga-boo come outdoors. No! I'sa scared of the White man way down south.

Meaning of this line above has now been corrected

Matt


on Nigger hatin me

Who ever did the meaning lines is funny... woodpile is a real term, and when it says jig aboo come out doors, he imitates a poor sounding guy saying he's afraid of the racist whites from the south cuz if they even show themselves in public, they were a target. This is a bad song about the unspoken truth

cemegonuts


on You piss me off...you fuckin' jerk

This is not David Allen Coe. It is a song written by Gaye Delorme and performed by Garry Lee and Showdown.

Teresa Warnke


on Pick Em, Lick Em, Stick Em

Are there any decent constitutional lawyers in the house?
Mr. Coe has been barred from performing in most public forums.
He is one the last surviving Outlaws of country music. Although, Nigger Fucker has racist theme, Mr. Coe was defended by his life long friend, Charlie Pride, who inspired the song, all of his days. They were close friends until the end.
David Allen COE is elderly and we don't have long to have an opportunity to see him perform. What is more is that he deserves to use his constitutional right to free speech.
Some would like to have this song and many more that feel are offensive removed from existence. I am not a racist and recognize the foulness of the song, but, I am mature enough to turn off music or any other media that I don't like.
Personally, the Brian Adam's song, "Rum to You", makes me sick, as does Reba Macy tyre's, "Fancy" and "Whoever's in New England".
Ms. Macy tires songs if a mother pimping out her daughter and an abandoned housewife faithfully waiting for her man to return from fucking his mistress hurts women. The Brian Adam's song also hurts women. I do not for a minute believe that this music should never be heard again. It does provide opportunity to discuss these things with younger people.
I am going to delete my YouTube music account because they removed DAC for it's content. I did have much respect for YouTube for it's American spirit and patriotism even though the way they pay their talent is nonsensical. One deletion is a demonstration of what will follow. Eventually this could lead to less freedoms for all of us.
Please don't fall into the currant popular victim trend. Turn off music you don't like and get on with your day.
Or stand up to censorship of the arts.
Thank You,
Teresa Warnke

Rodan


on Cum Stains on the Pillow

Dribble it on her nose!

11inthemoney


on Itty Bitty Titty

Young sex is the best

11inthemoney


on Itty Bitty Titty

Shucks it's cool.

Rodan


on Cum Stains on the Pillow

Another AWESOME DAC song that makes me bellylaugh!!!

More Comments

More Versions