Written By: Robbie Robertson (The Band)
A 4x
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When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go?
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Straight down the Mississippi river, to the Gulf of Mexico
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To Lake Charles, Louisiana, little Bessie, girl that I once knew
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She told me just to come on by, if there's anything she could do
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Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
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If I spring a leak she mends me
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I don't have to speak, she defends me
F#m G
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one
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Good luck had just stung me, to the race track I did go
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She bet on one horse to win and I bet on another to show
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The odds were in my favor, I had 'em five to one
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When that nag to win came around the track, sure enough we had won
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Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
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If I spring a leak she mends me
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I don't have to speak, she defends me
F#m G
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one
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I took up all of my winnings, and I gave my little Bessie half
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And she tore it up and threw it in my face, just for a laugh
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Now there's one thing in the whole wide world, I sure do like to see
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That's how that little sweet thing of mine, dips her doughnut in my tea
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Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
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If I spring a leak she mends me
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I don't have to speak, she defends me
F#m G
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one
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Now me and my mate were back at the shack, we had Spike Jones on the box
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She said, "I can't take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk"
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Now that just gave my heart a throb, to the bottom of my feet
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And I swore as I took another pull, my Bessie can t be beat
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Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
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If I spring a leak she mends me
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I don't have to speak, she defends me
F#m G
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one
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Now there's a flood out in California and up north it's freezing cold
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And this living off the road is getting pretty old
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So I guess I'll call up my big mama, tell her I'll be rolling in
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But you know, deep down, I'm kind of tempted
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To go and see my Bessie again.
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Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
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If I spring a leak she mends me
E
I don't have to speak, she defends me
F#m G
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one
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