Woody Guthrie

Poor Boy

Woody Guthrie


My mother called me to her bedside 
These words she said to me 
If you don't quit your rambling ways 
They're gonna get you in the penetentiary 
Gonna get you in the penetentiary poor boy 
Gonna get you in the penetentiary 
If you don't quit your reckless ways 
They're gonna get you in the penetentiary 

So I sat myself down in a gambling game 
But I could not play my hand 
Just thinking about that woman I love 
Run away with another man 
Run away with another man poor boy 
Run away with another man 
Just thinking about that woman I love 
Run away with another man 

The cards came around the table lord 
And I had such a worried mind 
My stack of gold dollars I wasted away 
And I lost about ninety-nine 
I lost about ninety-nine poor boy 
I lost about ninety-nine 
My stack of gold dollars I wasted away 
And I lost about ninety-nine 

It wasn't very long till I seen him again 
He ran away left her behind 
And I laid him down with my old forty-four 
And the judge gave me ninety-nine 
The judge gave me ninety-nine poor boy 
The judge gave me ninety-nine 
I laid a man down with my big forty-four 
And the judge gave me ninety-nine 

Well the jury said I had to pay 
And the clerk he wrote it down 
And the judge called out my number 
Two sixes upside down 
Two sixes upside down poor boy 
Two sixes upside down 
The judge called out my number 
Two sixes upside down