Mama's Hand
Hazel Dickens Lyrics

I said goodbye to that plain little miner town
I bid farewell to the small mining town where I grew up, which was unremarkable and modest.

With just a few old clothes that layed around
I packed only a handful of old, unused clothes lying around my house.

I knew I was leavin' a lot a things they were good
I was aware that I was leaving behind many good things and opportunities in the town I lived in.

But I thought I'd make a break while I still could
Despite the good things I was leaving behind, I believed it was time to move on and make a break before it got too late.

As I looked back to wave once more
Before I left the town, I turned back one more time to wave goodbye.

To mama cryin' in the door
When I looked back, I saw my mother crying in the door, who was sad to see me go.

For me and what the world might have in store
My mother was crying because she was worried about how the world might treat me after I left.

For she knew I'd never be her little girl no more
My mother knew that I was growing up and leaving childhood behind, and I could no longer be a little girl.

But she was driftin' back to another time
My mother was reminiscing about a time when she was young, and she had big dreams for what the future would hold.

When she was young and hoped to find
As a young woman, my mother had high hopes and dreams for her future.

A better life than what her mama's had been
My mother wanted a better life for herself, unlike her own mother, who likely lived a hard life.

But it was so they'd go of mama's hands, my mama's hands
My mother had to let go of her own mother's hands at some point in her life and venture out on her own.

I thought of all the love she gave
As I left the town, I reminisced about all the love and care my mother had given me throughout my life.

I thought of all the years she slaved
I also thought about how my mother worked tirelessly for years to provide for me and my family.

To try and make this run-down shack a home
Despite living in a run-down home, my mother tried her best to create a comfortable and welcoming environment.

A dream that really died 'fore it was born
Sadly, my mother's dream of creating a wonderful home likely died before it ever had a chance to be realized.

But she pulled us thru the hardest times
Regardless, my mother managed to help us get through the toughest moments and persevere.

And made us hold our head up high
My mother instilled confidence and a sense of pride in us, so we could hold our heads high in any situation.

A gift we carry with us all our lives
Those lessons and values that my mother instilled in us will be carried with us for the rest of our lives.

For we were special in mama's eyes
To my mother, my family and I were always special and important, and we felt that love every day.

As I looked down the dusty road
As I moved further from the town, I looked down the road, which was covered in dust and dirt.

To mama and her heavy load
In the distance, I could see my mother carrying a heavy load, both literally and figuratively.

I knew I was leavin' i'd never find again
I realized that I had left something behind that I would never be able to find or replace.

It was hard to let go of mama's hands, my mama's hands.
Ultimately, it was difficult to let go of the comfort, stability, and love that my mother provided, which I will miss forever.