"Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely."

Once I was seven years old

It was a big big world, but we thought we were bigger

Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker

By eleven smoking herb and drinking burning liquor

Never rich so we were out to make that steady figure

Once I was eleven years old, my daddy told me,

"Go get yourself a wife or you'll be lonely."

Once I was eleven years old

I always had that dream, like my daddy before me

So I started writing songs, I started writing stories

Something about that glory just always seemed to bore me

'Cause only those I really love will ever really know me

Once I was twenty years old, my story got told

I was writing about everything I saw before me

Once I was twenty years old

Soon we'll be thirty years old, our songs have been sold

We've traveled around the world and we're still roaming

Soon we'll be thirty years old

I'm still learning about life. My woman brought children for me

So I can sing them all my songs. And I can tell them stories

Most of my boys are with me. Some are still out seeking glory

And some I had to leave behind. My brother, I'm still sorry

Soon I'll be sixty years old, my daddy got sixty-one

Remember life, and then your life becomes a better one

I made a man so happy when I wrote a letter once

I hope my children come and visit once or twice a month

Soon I'll be sixty years old, will I think the world is cold

or will I have a lot of children who can warm me?

Soon I'll be sixty years old

Soon I'll be sixty years old, will I think the world is cold

or will I have a lot of children who can hold me?

Soon I'll be sixty years old.

Once I was seven years old, my mama told me,

"Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely."

Once I was seven years old

Once I was seven years old