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 George, Louisiana Little Bessie, girl that I once knew And she told me just to come on by If there's anything she could do
{Refrain} 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
Odds were in my favor I had him five to one When that nag came around the track Sure enough he had won
{Refrain}
I took up all of my winnings And I gave my little Bessie half And she tore it up and blew it in my face Just for a lauge
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
{Refrain}
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 fall To the bottom of my feet And I swore and I took another pull My Bessie can't be beat
{Refrain}
Now, it's hot in California And up north it's pretty cold And this living off the road Is getting pretty old
So I guess I'll call up my big mama Tell her I'll be rolling in Bet you know, deep down, I'm kinda tempted To see my sweet Bessie again