It snowed the night before and it had frozen on the ground We didn't have a car and we lived seven miles from town And I can hear my daddy's voice, so many years ago Saying "Don't forget the coffee Billy Joe Mama needs her medicine, she's got that real bad cough We'll get our check on Monday, tell ol' Sam we'll pay him off You can catch a ride when you get to the black-top road Don't forget the coffee Billy Joe" Me and Quentin went back on the hill and we cut some wood Burnin' in that ol' warm mornin' stove it sure smelled good Daddy couldn't get work then and I was just a child And God was on vacation for awhile "Well, if you see Fred you tell him I'll come help him kill them hogs And ask him if he'd still be interested in my dogs Don't hang around that pool room all day, we might get more snow And don't forget the coffee Billy Joe" Well, they wonder why there ain't no rabbits left this day and time To tell the truth I guess we ate 'em all in '49 Was that yesterday or was it over 20 years ago "Don't forget the coffee Billy Joe" "Mama needs her medicine, she's got that real bad cough We'll get our check on Monday tell ol' Sam we'll pay him off You can catch a ride when you get to the black-top road Don't forget the coffee Billy Joe Now pay attention, son Don't forget the coffee Billy Joe"