Old man down
Way down down,
Down by the docks of the city.
Blind and dirty,
Asking for a dime,
A dime for a cup of coffee,
I got no dime but I got some time to hear his story.
My name is August West,
And I love my Pearly Baker best.
More than my wine,
More than my wine—
More than my maker,
Though he’s no friend of mine.
Everyone saying
I’ve come to no good
I knew I would—Pearly, believe them.
Half of my life,
I spent doing time for some other fucker’s crime,
The other half found me stumbling round drunk on burgundy wine.
But I’ll get back on my feet someday,
The good Lord willing, if he says I may.
I know that the life I’m livin’s no good,
I’ll get a new start, lead the life I should.
I’ll get up and fly away,
I’ll get up and fly away,
Fly away.
Pearly’s been true,
True to me, true to my dying days,
I said to him,
I said to him, I’m sure she’s been
I said to him, I’m sure she’s been true to you.
Got up and wandered,
Wandered downtown, nowhere to go but just hang around.
I gotta girl,
Named Bonnie Lee,
I know that girl’s been true to me.
I know she’s been, I’m sure she’s been true to me.