aked ▁at ▁No . ▁ 5 ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁magazine ▁Hot ▁Country ▁Singles ▁chart ▁that ▁summer . ▁Charlie ▁Williams ▁wrote ▁several ▁songs ▁that ▁Roy ▁Clark ▁recorded , ▁including ▁" Right ▁or ▁Left ▁at ▁Oak ▁Street ." ▁ ▁Song ▁plot ▁The ▁story ▁is ▁told ▁in ▁first - person ▁narr ative ▁from ▁the ▁perspective ▁of ▁an ▁Oklahoma ▁native , ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁three ▁children ▁from ▁a ▁dest itute ▁share cro pping ▁family . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁song ' s ▁ch orus , ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁rec alls ▁how ▁his ▁mother , ▁brother ▁and ▁sister ▁all ▁picked ▁cot ton ▁while ▁his ▁d ad ▁died ▁young ▁from ▁the ▁ha z ards ▁of ▁working ▁in ▁a ▁coal ▁mine . ▁▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁verse ▁the ▁man ▁rec alls ▁his ▁family ' s ▁past ▁and ▁his ▁own ▁up br ing ing , ▁and ▁sw ore ▁to ▁himself ▁that ▁once ▁he ▁was ▁old ▁enough ▁he ▁would ▁leave ▁the ▁farm ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁behind . ▁ ▁He ▁eventually ▁made ▁good ▁on ▁his ▁promise ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁verse , ▁ste aling ▁ten ▁dollars ▁and ▁a ▁pick - up ▁tr uck ▁and ▁abs cond ing ▁from ▁his ▁hom est ead , ▁never ▁to ▁return . ▁ ▁From ▁then ▁on ▁the ▁man ▁lived ▁a ▁h ed on istic ▁l ifest yle ▁re ple te ▁with ▁" fast ▁cars ▁and ▁whis key , ▁long - ha ired ▁girls ▁and ▁fun ", ▁which ▁he ▁fin anced ▁through ▁armed ▁rob ber y ▁(" I ▁had ▁everything ▁that ▁money ▁could ▁bring , ▁and ▁I ▁took ▁it ▁all