Old man down, way down, down   Down by the docks of the city   Blind and dirty, asked me 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 said I'd come to no good, I knew I would pearly, believe them   Half of my life, I spent doin' 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 old Lord willin', if He says I may   I know that the life I'm livin's no good   I'll get a new start, live 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 dyin' day he said   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"      I got up and wandered, wandered downtown   Nowhere to go but just hang around   I've got a 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