Way back in '29 somewhere in Coffeeville Was a honky tonk named Big Mable Murphy's She had a sweetheart named Little Melvin And hair would fly between them every night
They say Little Melvin got wild on bathub gin Cause it made him grow to almost twice his size He'd try to take over and sass Big Mable And her great big fist would black Little Melvin's eyes
Big Mable Murphy she loved Little Melvin But he never did learn to do just what she said Cause poor Little Melvin woke up every morning With two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head
Then late one rainy night Scarface Mouzziola Came in and started shoving folks around Big Mable Murphy was back in the kitchen So just for fun he shot Little Melvin down
Early next morning down by the river Scarface Mouzziola was found real short of breath They say that Scarface had died from a whoopin' He had two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head
Big Mable Murphy's place raved on until she died And they say sometimes a tear would fill her eye And then she'd whisper Lord I'd give anything If once more I could black Little Melvin's eyes