I said goodbye baby : oh yes I got to go
I don't want to be wearing mustache : ooo well mistreated for Mr so‑and‑so
I say the hard luck and trouble : every place I go
I believe somebody put bad luck on me : ooo well I believe now it's time to go
I had money baby : I even had friends for miles around
Well all the money gone : ooo well and my friends cannot be found
I started down : I started down in Polack Town
Seem like the snitches and the police babe : trying to tear poor Joe's reputation down
Now you can hear me when I'm down : be the same way when I rise
I got a gal in East St Louis : she lives in Polack Town