Patches

“Patches” was Clarence Carter’s most famous song, but it was originally recorded by the R&B group Chairmen Of The Board and released as the B-side to their 1970 single “Everything’s Tuesday.” Chairmen Of The Board lead singer General Johnson and his songwriting partner Ronald Dunbar wrote the song, which tells a heart wrenching story about a boy who grows up on a family farm in Alabama. Nicknamed “Patches’ ‘ because his old clothes were patched together, his father asks him from his deathbed to take care of the family, which he does, working the fields while continuing his education.