By Bill Anderson

Dedication: To Whispering Bill Anderson and a friendship I value as much as any other because of his talent and also his inspiration. To Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Porter Wagoner, Ernest Tub, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins and Lefty Frizzell for singing prison songs when I was still a prisoner.

WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY DADDY USED TO SAY TO ME, SON,

WE GOT A LOT OF LAND, WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE

GO GET YOUR MARBLES, PUT’EM IN THE HOUSE

TEAR DOWN YOUR CASTLES IN THE SAND

COME WITH YOUR POPPY TO THE COTTON PATCH

GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS

GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS, SON

IF YOUR GONNA GROW UP TO BE A BIG BIG MAN

A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS

WELL I REACHED TWENTY ONE AND I THOUGHT I WAS A PRETTY BIG WHEEL

I LEFT THE COUNTRY FOR THE CITY, MET A SLICKER WITH A SHADY DEAL

HE SAID HOLD UP THE BANK BOY AND TAKE ALL THE MONEY

AND RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN

THE ONLY WAY YOU’LL EVER GET ALONG IN THIS WORLD

IS TO GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS

GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS

WELL ITS FOUR IN THE MORNING’ AND THE WARDEN IS CALLING’ MY NAME

HE SAID HE’S TEACHING’ ME A LESSON NOW HE’S MAKING’ ME GO WORK IN THE RAIN

DIG THAT DITCH BOY FILL IT UP

IM WANTING’ YOU TO UNDERSTAND

THE ONLY WAY TO STRAIGHTEN OUT A GUY LIKE YOU

IS TO GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS

GET A LITTLE DIRT ON YOUR HANDS

HEY DAVID GOT TO GET A LITTLE DIRT ON THOSE HANDS BOY

YEAH IF YOU WANT TO GROW UP TO BE A BIG BIG MAN

YOU BETTER REMEMBER WHAT OLD WHISPERING BILL TOLD YOU IN THIS SONG

GET A LITTLE DIRT ON THOSE HANDS