A-Sleepin' At The Foot Of The Bed by Happy Wilson and Luther Patrick "I lived that. I slept at the foot of the bed. For three years my family lived on a farm in Haleyville, Alabama, during the Hoover administration [1928-1932]. Those were lean days. In a farm community, people are all friends and often would drift on in and come to spend the night. You would find three or four kids sleeping in a bed and someone's got to be at the foot. —Happy Wilson A-Sleepin' At The Foot Of The Bed Did you ever sleep at the foot of the bed When the weather wuz whizzin' cold When the wind was whistlin' around the house |And the moon was yaller as gold? You give your good warm mattress up To Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Fred Too many kinfolks on a bad night And you went to the foot of the bed. I could always wait till then old folks et And eat the Leavin's 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 Or let sister have my sled But it always did get my nanny goat To sleep at the foot of the bed. 'Twas fine enough when kinfolks come And the kids bro't brand new games You could see how fat all the old folks wuz And learn all the babies' names Had biscuits and custard and chicken pie We all got Sunday fed But you know dern well when night time come You wuz headed for the foot of the bed. They say some folks don't know what it is Havin' comp'ny all over the place To rassle for cover on a winter night With a big foot settin' in your face Or cold toenails a-scratchin' your back And the footboard scrubbin' your head I'll tell the world you ain't lost a thing Never 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 all fired battle of life, It's left its mark on me For I'm always a-strugglin' around AT the foot instead of forgin' ahead And I don't think it's caused from a doggone thing but A-sleepin' at the foot of the bed. Buy the song A-Sleepin' At The Foot Of The Bed