[Verse]
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 doing time for some other f**er's crime
The other half found me stumbling 'round drunk on burgundy wine
But I'll get back on my feet again someday
The good lord willing, if he says I may
I know that the life I'm living'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 dying 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