Well I remember when I was just little
Mama used to cook on an old black kettle
On an old wood stove she'd had since she was wed
Well the oven door was sprung a little bit
So we propped it up with a forked stick
But that didn't matter cause mama kept us fed
My mama and daddy must have loved each other
Cause I had eleven sisters and brothers
And the girls worked just as hard as the boys did
There was corn to hoe then we'd go hoe it
We might have been poor but we didn't know it
We'd heard that word but we didn't know what it meant
Oh we used to have such a good life
And the days that I knew then are the happiest I've known
And oh didn't we have such a good time
It's sad to think the old black kettle's gone

Well there was nothing that pleased us any better
Than when we got an occasional letter
From kin folks livin' up north in some big town
We'd think of all the games we'd play
And we just couldn't hardly wait
When our city cousins said they'ze a comin' down
Now mama's done away with the old black kettle
She used to cook in when I was just little
And the door ain't sprung on her electric range
That little farm and home we had
It ain't there no more and that's too bad
Folks are doin' away with the simple things

And oh we used to have such a good life
And the days that I knew then are the happiest I've known
And oh didn't we have such a good time
It's sad to think the old black kettle's gone

Now, I just mean to say the simple things are gone
The old black kettle's gone

• A Christmas to Remember
• A Cowboy's Ways
• Almost in Love
• Applejack
• Better Part of Life
• Blue Me
• Boulder to Birmingham
• Brave Little Soldier
• Bubbling Over
• Burning
• Burning to Burned
• Busy Signal
• Butterflies
• Calm on The Water
• Christmas Without You
• Could I Have Your Autograph
• Cry, Cry Darlin'
• D. I. V. O. R. C. E.
• Dirty Job
• Don't Let It Trouble Your Mind
• Down
• Down from Dover
• Down on Music Row
• Downtown
• Dumb Blonde
• Dump The Dude
• Elusive Butterfly
• Even a Fool Would Let Go
• Evening Shade
• Everyday Hero
• Fish Out of Water
• Fuel to The Flame
• Gamble Either Way
• Getting in My Way
• Great Balls of Fire
• Hard Candy Christmas
• Harper Valley Pta
• He's a Go Getter
• Heartsong
• Help
• Higher & Higher
• Holdin' on to You
• How Does It Feel
• I Believe in Santa Claus
• I Can't Help Myself
• I Couldn't Wait Forever
• I Don't Want to Throw Rice
• I Know You by Heart
• I Really Don't Want to Know
• I Took Him for Granted
• I Walk The Line
• I Wasted My Tears
• I'll Oil Wells Love You
• I'm a Drifter
• I'm in No Condition
• I'm Not Worth The Tears
• Islands in The Stream
• Jealous Heart
• Kentucky Gambler
• Letter to Heaven
• Life's Like Poetry
• Little Blossom
• Little Sparrow
• Livin' a Lie
• Make Love Work
• Making Believe
• Mine
• Mommie, Ain't That Daddy
• More Than I Can Say
• Never Ending Love
• Old Black Kettle
• Once in a Very Blue Moon
• Once Upon a Christmas
• One Emotion After Another
• One of Those Days
• Pms Blues
• Preacher Tom
• Precious Memories
• Queen of The Tabloids
• Red Hot Screaming Love
• Robert
• Satisfied
• Savin' It for You
• Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On
• Shattered Image
• She Don't Love You
• Slow Healing Heart
• Something Fishy
• Star of The Show
• Stay Out of My Bedroom
• Still on Your Mind
• Straight Talk
• Sweet Summer Lovin'
• Take Me Back to The Country
• The Christmas Song
• The Company You Keep
• The Fire That Keeps You Warm
• The Giving & The Taking
• The Great Pretender
• The Greatest Gift of All
• The Little Things
• The Moon Stars, & Me
• The River Unbroken
• There
• Thought I Couldn't Dance
• Tie Our Love
• Time for Me to Fly
• Too Lonely Too Long
• Turn Turn Turn
• Two Little Orphans
• Two Lovers
• Unlikely Angel
• Wait 'til I Get You Home
• Walter Henry Hagan
• Wayfaring Stranger
• We Had It All
• We Might Be in Love
• We'll Sing in The Sunshine
• What Do You Think About Loving
• What is It My Love
• When The Sun Goes Down Tomorrow
• When You Tell Me That You Love Me
• Where Beauty Lives in Memory
• Why, Why, Why
• Wild Texas Wind
• With Bells On
• Wrong Direction Home
• You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
• Your Kisses Are Charity