At birth mom and papa called their little boy Ned 
Raised him on the banks of a river bed 
A houseboat tied to a big tall tree 
A home for my papa and my mama and me 
The clock strikes three and papa jumps to his feet 
Already mama’s cooking papa something to eat 
At half past papa he’s ready to go 
He jumps in his pirogue headed down the bayou 
Bridge: (1st) 
He’s got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana 
rivers 
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat 
He’s setting traps in the swamp catching anything he 
can 
He’s gotta make a living, he’s a Louisiana Man 
He’s gotta make a living, he’s a Louisiana Man 
He’s got Muskrat hides hanging by the dozens 
Even got a lady Mink, a Muskrat’s cousin 
Got ‘em out drying in the hot, hot sun 
Tomorrow papa’s gonna turn ‘em into mon(ey) 
They call mama Rita and my daddy Jack 
Little baby brother on the floor that’s Mack 
Bren(da) and Lin(da) are the family twins 
And big brother Ed’s on the bayou fishing 
On the river floats papa’s great big boat 
That’s how my papa goes into town 
It takes every bit of a night and a day 
To even reach a place where people stay 
Bridge: (2nd) 
I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around 
That’s the day my papa takes his furs to town 
Papa promised me that I could go 
He’d even let me see a cowboy show 
I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then 
I told my pop I’ve gotta go again 
Papa said son we’ve got lines to run 
We’ll come back again but first there’s work to be done 
He’s got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana 
rivers 
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat 
He’s setting traps in the swamp catching anything he 
can 
He’s gotta make a living, he’s a Louisiana Man 
He’s gotta make a living, he’s a Louisiana Man