Mammie
Dolly Parton Lyrics

Mammie delivered me into this world
My grandmother was the one who gave birth to me.

Mammie watched my mama die at my birth
My mother died while giving birth to me and Mammie was there to witness it.

And Mammie she loved me she took me to raise
Because my mother died, my grandmother took on the responsibility of raising me and she loved me like her own child.

Mammie was all I had on this earth
As an orphan who never knew my father, my grandmother was the only family I had on this earth.

Let's get in the firewood, I'd hear Mammie say
Mammie would tell me to gather firewood for the fire.

Let's go to the spring before it gets dark
Mammie would ask me to get water from the spring before it got dark.

And you do up the dishes while the water's still hot
Mammie would tell me to wash the dishes while the water was still hot.

And don't throw that dishwater out in the yard
Mammie would tell me not to throw the dishwater out in the yard.

Oh Mammie taught me how to sing a song
Mammie taught me how to sing and play guitar.

She taught me to play her old guitar
Mammie taught me how to play her old guitar.

And at night before bedtime we'd sing for hours
Mammie and I would sing together for hours before going to bed.

As the teakettle whistled along on the fire
The teakettle would whistle along as we sang by the fire.

And at night as I laid alone in my bed
At night, when I was in bed by myself,

I'd hear Mammie praying and each night she said
I would hear Mammie praying and every night she would say,

Oh dear God help me raise her to know right from wrong
She prayed to God to help her raise me to be a person who knows right from wrong.

And I pray she'll do right even after I 'm gone.
She hoped that I would continue to do what is right even after she was gone.

I'd wait until Mammie had fallen asleep
I would wait until Mammie had fallen asleep.

Then out of my window I'd quietly sneak
I would sneak out of my window quietly.

And I'd wait by the mill pond according to plans
I would wait by the mill pond according to the plans I had made.

And there in the darkness I'd meet a man
I would meet a man in the darkness.

Oh it's not that I wanted to bring Mammie shame
I didn't want to bring shame to Mammie.

I just couldn't control wild blood in my veins
I couldn't control my own desires and impulses.

They tell me my mama could not name my dad
I was born out of wedlock and my mother didn't know who my father was.

So I guess it was natural for me to be bad
Because of my situation, it was easy for me to make bad choices.

One night I awoke at the sound of my name
One night I woke up when I heard Mammie calling my name.

Come quickly, I heard Mammie cry
Mammie was calling for me to come quickly.

She said you be good and I told her I would and
Mammie advised me to be good and I promised her that I would be.

That night I watched as my Mammie died
I was there as Mammie passed away.

All I have now are the memories of Mammie
All that is left for me now are the memories of Mammie.

And the goodness that loving her brought me
The goodness that came from loving and being loved by Mammie.

Although she is gone in my heart she lives on
Even though Mammie is no longer with me, she lives on in my heart.

And I know how much good she taught me.
I am aware of the amount of goodness Mammie taught me.

Ah Mammie, I'm being good Mammie ...
I am trying to be good as you taught me, Mammie.