Did you ever sleep at the foot of the bed
When the weather was a whizzin' cold?
When the wind was a whistlin' round
The house and the moon was yeller as goldYou give your good warm mattress
Up to aunt Lizzie and uncle Fred
Too many kinfolks on a bad night
So you went to the foot of the bedI could always wait till the old folks
et an eat the leavin's with grace
The teacher could keep me after school
I'd still have a smile on my faceI could wear the big boys worn out clothes
And let sister have my sled
But I'd always did get my nanny goat
To sleep at the foot of the bedWas fine enough when the kinfolks come
And the kids brought brand new games
You could see how fat all the old folks
Was and learn all the babies namesHad biscuits and custard and chicken pie
We all got Sunday fed
But I'd know darn well when nighttime come
I was heading for the foot of the bedThey say some folks don't know
What it is having company all over the place
To wrestle for cover on a winter night
With a big foot sitting in your faceOr a cold toenail just a scratching your back
And the foot boards scrubbin' your head
I'll tell the world you ain't lost a thing
Never a sleepin' at the foot of the bedI've done it over and over again
In this land of the brave and the free
And in this awful battle of life
It's left it's mark on meFor I'm always a struggling around
At the foot instead of forging ahead
And I don't think it's caused from a dog
Gone thing but a sleepin' at the foot of the bed