Asus2
Old man down,
Em                                      Asus2
Way down down, down by the docks of the city.
Asus2
Blind and dirty,
Em                                       Asus2
Asked me for a dime, a dime for a cup of coffee.
  Em                D                          Asus2
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,
                                                           A   D   A
The other half found me stumbling 'round drunk on Burgundy wine

G            D    G/D  D     A              D     G/D   D
But I'll get back      on my feet again someday,
    C          G       C   G             D     Dsus4   D
The good Lord willin',      if He says I may.
                Asus4    A               Em
I know that the life      I'm livin's no good,
     Asus4      A     Asus2  A         A7     Em
I'll get a new start,        live the life I should.

Break

Em
I'll get up and fly away,
                          Asus2
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."

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.