When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go?

Straight down the Mississippi river, to the Gulf of Mexico

To Lake Charles, Louisiana, little Bessie, girl that I once knew

She told me just to come on by, if there's anything she could do



(Chorus)

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me

If I spring a leak she mends me

I don't have to speak, she defends me

A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one



Good luck had just stung me, to the race track I did go

She bet on one horse to win and I bet on another to show

The odds were in my favor, I had 'em five to one

When that nag to win came around the track, sure enough she had won



(Chorus)



I took up all of my winnings, and I gave my little Bessie half

She tore it up and threw it in my face, just for a laugh

Now there's one thing in the whole wide world, I sure would like to see

That's when that little love of mine, dips her doughnut in my tea



(Chorus)



Now me and my mate were back at the shack, we had Spike Jones on the box

She said, "I can't take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk"

Now that just gave my heart a throb, to the bottom of my feet

And I swore and I took another pull, my Bessie can't be beat



(Chorus)



Now there's a flood out in California and up north it's freezing cold

And this living on the road is getting pretty old

So I guess I'll call up my big mama, tell her I'll be rolling in

But you know, deep down, I'm kind of tempted to go and see my Bessie again.



Chorus