Yeah when I get off of this mountain
Tell her how to go
Straight to the Mississippi River
To the Gulf of Mexico
Yeah to Lake Charles, Louisiana
Little Bessie, a girl that I once knew
She told me just to come on by
If there's anything she could do

Up on Cripple Creek she send me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak 'cause 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
Yeah i bet on one horse to win
And she bet on another to show
The odds were in my favor
So I gave my little Bessie half
When that nag to win came around the track
It really chapped my ass

Up on Cripple Creek she send me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak 'cause 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
Yeah she tore it up and threw it in my face
You know just for a laugh
Yeah but there's one thing in the whole wide world
I sure would like to see
It's when that little love of mine
Puts her doughnut in my tea

Up on Cripple Creek she send me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak 'cause she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Well me and my mate were back at the shack
We had Spike Jones on the box
She said, "I can't stand to hear him sing
But I sure love to hear him talk"
Now that just gave my heart a fall
To the bottom of my feet
And I swore as I took another pull
My Bessie can't be beat

Up on Cripple Creek she send me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak 'cause she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one
Yeah a flood out in California
Up in Canada it's freezin' cold
And this livin' out on the road
Well it's gettin' pretty old
So I guess I'll call up my big mama
And tell her I'll be movin' in
Bet deep down, deep down you know I'm kinda tempted
To go see my Bessie again

Up on Cripple Creek she send me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak 'cause she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Yeah up on Cripple Creek she send me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak 'cause she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one