Pickin' wasn't easy   Kept you brown and thin   Been a child for every season   That the fruit was on the limb      Pack the truck Maria   Tell the kids, we're off again   Cross a dozen states or more   We'll teach 'em what we can      Teach 'em what we can   We can't do more   The land is good   But still the livin's poor      Harvest in September   Drought in mid July   January's peeking   Through a white lace gypsy sky      March rolls into April   Then plant and pray for rain   Sweat like hell in August   Run the circle once again      Run the circle once again   And then once more   The land is good   But still the livin's poor      Oregon in August   Michigan in May   Tryin' to make enough   To keep my family on its way      And buy the pickin' boss a drink   To keep working every day   You know it isn't honest   But you do it anyway      Do it anyway   To keep alive   Do it anyway to keep alive