Blind Alfred Reed was an American folk, country, and old-time musician. His most well known song is "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?"
Alfred Reed was born completely blind, in Floyd, Virginia. As a child he began writing his own songs and performing at community events. He was discovered by Ralph Peer, who recorded him in 1927 at the Bristol Sessions, alongside the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. He continued to perform locally until 1937, when new town bylways barred him from playing music in the street, stripping him of his main source of income. In 1956, Reed died of starvation.
You fashion-loving Christian, you will surely be denied You must unload, you must unload. You’re robbing God’s own treasure if you feed yourself in pride, You must, you must unload. The way is straight and narrow and the few are in the road, My brother and my sister, there is no other mode, If you want to get to heaven, your future abode, You must, you must unload. You money-loving Christian, you refuse to pay your share, You must unload, you must unload. You want to get to heaven on the cheapest kind of fare, You must, you must unload. The way is straight and narrow and the few are in the road, My brother and my sister, there is no other mode, If you want to get to heaven, your future abode, You must, you must unload. You puffer of the cigarette, you’ve made your fate secure You must unload, you must unload. There’ll be no more tobacco in the land where all is pure, You must, you must unload. The way is straight and narrow and the few are in the road, My brother and my sister, there is no other mode, If you want to get to heaven, your future abode, You must, you must unload. You Christians with card parties, you are far from being true, You must unload, you must unload. There’ll be no playing euchre in the land where all is true, You must, you must unload. The way is straight and narrow and the few are in the road, My brother and my sister, there is no other mode, If you want to get to heaven, your future abode, You must, you must unload.