Up On Cripple Creek (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, November 2, 1969)

When I get off of this mountain, you know where I wanna go

Straight down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico

To Lake Charles, Louisiana, little Bessie, girl I once knew

She told me just to come on by if there's anything she could do

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 and to the racetrack I did go

I bet on one horse to win and she bet on another to show

The odds were in my favor, I had 'em five to one

And that nag to win came around the

Track, me and little Bessie had won

Up on Cripple Creek, she sends 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 picked 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 do like to see

That's when that little love of mine dips a donut in my tea

Going up on Cripple Creek, she sends 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

There's a flood out in California and up north it's freezing 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

But you know deep down I'm kind of tempted to go see my Bessie again

Going up on Cripple Creek, she sends 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