O.C. Smith is better known for ‘Little Green Apples,’ but this was his first song to receive notable airplay.
I’ve been familiar with the song for decades, and just assumed that the ‘tramp’ was the father who had walked out on the family. But no. . .
It’s the mother, who had to resort to prostitution to support her 14 children.
“The path was deep and wide from footsteps leading to our cabin. Above the door there hung a scarlet lamp.”
I’d never really paid a lot of attention to the words, and there was one line that never made any sense to me. After the father has abandoned the family “Mama sacrificed her [pie],” which was puzzling. But the word was ‘pride.’ Made the rest of the lyrics fall into place.
[I said ‘O.C. Smith,’ but technically the writer was one (still-living!) [Dallas Frazier](Dallas Frazier - Wikipedia).]