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