"We were sharecroppers - we were a little bit of everything. We farmed and tried to make something"

This quote by Buck Owens speaks to the struggles of sharecropping, a system of farming in which a landowner enables a renter to utilize their land in exchange for a share of the crops produced on the land. In this quote, Owens is expressing the hard work and devotion of sharecroppers, who needed to do whatever it took to make a living. He is emphasizing the truth that sharecroppers needed to be flexible and handle a variety of roles in order to make it through. They had to farm, but likewise do whatever else was essential to make ends meet. This quote speaks with the strength of sharecroppers, who regardless of the challenging conditions, were able to make something of themselves. It likewise serves as a pointer of the value of hard work and dedication, and the benefits that come with it.