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 once knew
She told me just to come on by,
 if there's anything that 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,
 so to the race track I did go
I bet on one horse to win
and Bessie bet on another to show
The odds were in my favor,
 you know I had 'em five to one
That nag to win came around the track
Me and sweet Bessie had won

I'm goin' 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

So picked 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 that just've made my heart drop
To the bottom of my feet
And I swore as I took another pull
My Bessie can't be beat
I'm going 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
Yodely, yodely, yodely, yo
Yodel, Yodel, Yodel Yo hoo hoo...
Well 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 there's one thing in the whole wide world,
 I sure do love to see
That's how that little sweet thing of mine,
puts her doughnut in my tea

I'm goin' 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

There's a flood out in California
and up north it's freezing cold
And this a-livin' off of the road is getting pretty old
So I guess I'll call up my big mama,
and tell her I'll be rollin' in
But you know deep down,
I'm sort of tempted to go and see my Bessie again

I'm goin' 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

Lo, loo, hoo, loda, loda, loo hoo hoo...
Yeah, yeah, you know I sure wish I could yodel

I could
Yodely, yodely, yodely, yo
Yodel, Yodel, Yodel Yo hoo hoo...