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 that she could do
 
 
 Up on Cripple Creek, she sends me
 
 If I spring a leak, she mends me
 
 I don't have to speak, as 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 we had won
 
 
 Up on Cripple Creek, as she sends me
 
 If I spring a leak, as she mends me
 
 I don't have to speak, as she defends me
 
 A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one
 
 
 I took up all of my winnings
 
 And I gave my little Bessie half
 
 And 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
 
 
 Up on Cripple Creek, as she sends me
 
 If I spring a leak, as she mends me
 
 I don't have to speak, as she defends me
 
 A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one
 
 
 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 as I took another pull
 
 My Bessie can't be beat
 
 
 Up on Cripple Creek, as she sends me
 
 If I spring a leak, as she mends me
 
 I don't have to speak, as she defends me
 
 A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one
 
 
 As 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
 
 
 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