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 yellow as gold

You give your good one mattress
Up to aunt Lizzie and uncle Fred
Too many kinfolks on a bad night
So you went to the foot of the bed

I could always wait till the old folks
Had an eating believings with grace
The teacher could keep me after school
I'd still have a smile on my face

I 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 bed

Was 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 names

Had 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 bed

They 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 face

Or a cold toenail just a scratching your back
And the foot boards grabbing your head
I'll tell the world you ain't lost a thing
Never a sleepin' at the foot of the bed

I'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 me

For 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