Big Mable Murphy

(album: Story Teller - 1972)

Way back in '29 somewhere in Coffeeville
Was a honky tonk named, Big Mable Murphy's
She had a sweetheart, name Little Melvin
And the hair would fly between them every Saturday night

They say, Little Melvin, he got wild on bathtub gin
'Cause it made him grow to almost twice his size
He'd try to take over, mmm and sass Big Mable
And her great big fists would blacken Little Melvin's eyes

Big Mable Murphy, she loved Little Melvin
But he never did learn to do just what she said
'Cause poor Little Melvin, woke up early every morning
With two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head

Then late one rainy night Scarface Moosoluna
Oh, he came in and started shoving folks around
Big Mable Murphy, while she was way back in the kitchen
So just for fun old Scarface shot Little Melvin down

Early next morning down by the river
They tell me Scarface Moosoluna was found real short of breath
They say that Scarface had died from a good whooping
He had two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head

Big Mable Murphy's place raved on until she died
And they say sometimes a tear would fill her eye
And then she whispered, Lord, I'd give anything
If once more I could blacken Little Melvin's eyes

Hey Big Mable, Big Mable Murphy, Big Mable Murphy...