Up On Cripple Creek

by The Band

From the album: The Last Waltz

Track 2 of 30 on The Last Waltz (1978).

Duration: 4:44

The Last Waltz cover art

Lyrics for Up On Cripple Creek

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, as 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 we had won Up on Cripple Creek, as she sends me If I spring a leak, as she mends me I don't have to speak, as she defends me A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one I took 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 would like to see That's when that little love of mine Dips her doughnut in my tea Up on Cripple Creek, as she sends me If I spring a leak, as she mends me I don't have to speak, as she defends me A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one 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 throb To the bottom of my feet And I swore as I took another pull My Bessie can't be beat Up on Cripple Creek, as she sends me If I spring a leak, as she mends me I don't have to speak, as she defends me A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one As there's a flood out in California And up North it's freezing cold 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 rolling in But you know, deep down I'm kind of tempted To go and see my Bessie again 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

Listen On

More from The Last Waltz

  1. Theme From The Last Waltz
  2. Up On Cripple Creek
  3. Who Do You Love
  4. Helpless
  5. Stagefright
  6. Coyote
  7. Dry Your Eyes
  8. It Makes No Difference
  9. Such A Night
  10. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
  11. Mystery Train
  12. Mannish Boy
  13. Further On Up The Road
  14. Shape I'm In
  15. Down South In New Orleans
  16. Ophelia
  17. Tura Lura Lural (That's An Irish Lullaby)
  18. Caravan
  19. Life Is A Carnival
  20. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
  21. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
  22. Forever Young
  23. Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Reprise)
  24. I Shall Be Released
  25. The Well
  26. Evangeline
  27. Out Of The Blue
  28. The Weight
  29. The Last Waltz Refrain
  30. Theme From The Last Waltz (With Orchestra)