Standin' by a cotton field
A little North of Bakersfield
Valley heat and dust looking to choke me
Tryin' hard to thumb a ride
Holdin' up my weary pride
I'm just a homesick California Okie
Well, just to keep from gettin' down
I remember sittin' 'round
That old wood stove in mama's country kitchen
And every car that passes by
I cuss and tell myself that I
Can't get back home nor anywhere's by hitching
And I wish I'd never left old Oklahoma
I never had no money, least I had a wife
She begged me not to leave old Oklahoma
I never had no money there, at least we had a life
When the sun's a goin' down
Needles ain't no kind of town
For a guy like me to be in
Broke and walkin'
'Cause if a cop should happen by
Ten to one he'd stop
And I ain't in no mood to do no fancy talkin'
I reckon I'd be outta stick
But only if I'd caught a friend
Back in Bakersfield, but somethin' wouldn't let me
Well, if you believe in Okie's guy
Give this country boy a night
Or send some kinda angel here to get me
And I wish I'd never left old Oklahoma
I never had no money there, at least I had a wife
She begged me not to leave old Oklahoma
I never had no money there, at least we had a life
Never had no money there
At least I had a wife
