Cornbread and Sweet Tea
Performed by Debbie “Hayride” Harper & The Prairie Songbirds
Cornbread and Sweet Tea — Music and Lyrics by Alan Nafzger
Verse 1:
Woke up this mornin’, with the sun on the rise,
Grabbed my ol’ cast iron, get the day passin’ by.
Got mama’s recipe, from those years long gone,
Mix that cornmeal up, turn the buttermilk on.
Pre-Chorus:
Oven’s heatin’ up, smellin’ fine as can be,
There’s a little slice of heaven in that cornbread, you’ll see.
Pitcher on the table, coolin’ just right,
Fillin’ up my glass with that sweet tea delight.
Chorus:
Cornbread and sweet tea, that’s the life for me,
A bit of butter, bit of honey, sweet as it can be.
Got love in the kitchen, you know it’s true,
Cornbread and sweet tea, just me and you.
Verse 2:
Grandma’s porch swing’s creakin’, crickets start to hum,
Kids runnin’ barefoot, till the moonlight comes.
There’s magic in that cornbread, something in that tea,
More than just a taste—it’s our family tree.
Pre-Chorus:
From mason jar sippin’ to the cast iron pan,
It’s the heart of the South, hope you understand.
No fancy feast or city schemes,
Just simple livin’, sweet summer dreams.
Chorus:
Cornbread and sweet tea, that’s the life for me,
A dab of butter, drizzle honey, sweet as it can be.
We got love in the kitchen, as pure as it seems,
Cornbread and sweet tea, livin’ in our dreams.
Bridge:
Pour another round, let the laughter grow,
Pull up a chair, take it nice and slow.
We don’t need much, just you and me,
Cornbread, sweet tea, and good company.
Chorus:
Cornbread and sweet tea, that’s the life for me,
A bit of butter, bit of honey, sweet as it can be.
Got love in the kitchen, you know it’s true,
Cornbread and sweet tea, just me and you.
Outro:
Yeah, cornbread and sweet tea, beneath the magnolia,
With love, good friends, and sweet memories, ya see.
Cornbread and Sweet Tea
by Alan Nafzger (1995)
In the morning light, the sun shines high,
Cast iron warms as time slips by.
Mama’s recipe, from days of old,
Mix the cornmeal, let the stories unfold.
The oven warms, fills the air,
With scents of comfort, beyond compare.
A slice of heaven, golden brown,
Sweet tea waits, a cool delight to drown.
Grandma’s porch swing creaks and sways,
As crickets hum their evening praise.
Kids run barefoot through the yard,
Playing ’til the moon stands guard.
Cornbread hot, sweet tea cold,
Simple pleasures, worth their weight in gold.
In every crumb, in every sip,
Lies family love on this southern trip.
Mason jars and cast iron pans,
Heart of the South in every hand.
No city lights or fancy things,
Just summer days and all it brings.
Pour another glass, let laughter ring,
Pull up a chair, let the joy begin.
We need nothing more, it’s plain to see,
Just cornbread, sweet tea, and good company.
Under the shade of the magnolia tree,
With friends and love, so wild and free.
Cornbread and sweet tea, memories to hold,
In every drop and every bite, a story unfolds.
