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 onceknew
She told me just to come on by, if there's anything she coulddo

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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 hadwon

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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 liketo see
That's when that little love of mine, dips her doughnut in mytea

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Now me and my mate were back at the shack, we had Spike Jones onthe box
She said, "I can't take the way he sings, but I love to hear himtalk"
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

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Now there's a flood out in California and up north it's freezingcold
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 rollingin
But you know, deep down, I'm kind of tempted to go and see myBessie again.

Chorus