"Up on Cripple Creek" is the fifth song on The Band's eponymous second album, The Band. It was released as an (edited) single on Capitol 2635 in November 1969 and reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Up on Cripple Creek" was written by Band guitarist Robbie Robertson, with drummer Levon Helm singing lead vocal.

A 1976 live performance of "Up on Cripple Creek" appears in the Band's concert film The Last Waltz, as well as on the accompanying soundtrack album. In addition, live performances of the song appear on Before the Flood, which records the Band's 1974 tour with Bob Dylan, as well as on the 2001 expanded edition of Rock of Ages, originally released in 1972.

"Up on Cripple Creek" is notable as it is one of the first instances of a Hohner clavinet being played with a wah-wah pedal. The riff can be heard after each chorus of the song. The clavinet, especially in tandem with a wah-wah pedal, was a sound that became famous in the early to mid-1970s, especially in funk music.

Lyrics

When I get off of this mountain You know where I want to go Straight down the Mississippi river To the Gulf of Mexico To Lake Charles Louisiana Little Bessie, girl that I once knew She told me just to come on by If there's anything that she could do

Up on Cripple Creek, she sends me If I spring a leak, she mends me I don't have to speak, as she defends me A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Good luck had just stung me To the race track I did go She bet on one horse to win And I bet on another to show The odds were in my favor I had 'em five to one When that nag to win came around the track Sure enough we had won

Up on Cripple Creek, as she sends me If I spring a leak, as she mends me I don't have to speak, as she defends me A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

I took up all of my winnings And I gave my little Bessie half And she tore it up and threw it in my face Just for a laugh Now there's one thing in the whole wide world I sure would like to see That's when that little love of mine Dips her doughnut in my tea

Up on Cripple Creek, as she sends me If I spring a leak, as she mends me I don't have to speak, as she defends me A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Now me and my mate were back at the shack We had Spike Jones on the box She said, "I can't take the way he sings But I love to hear him talk" Now that just gave my heart a throb To the bottom of my feet And I swore as I took another pull My Bessie can't be beat

Up on Cripple Creek, as she sends me If I spring a leak, as she mends me I don't have to speak, as she defends me A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

As there's a flood out in California And up North it's freezing cold And this living on the road Is getting pretty old So I guess, I'll call up my big mama Tell her I'll be rolling in But you know, deep down I'm kind of tempted To go and see my Bessie again

Up on Cripple Creek, she sends me If I spring a leak, she mends me I don't have to speak, she defends me A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Songwriters: Robbie Robertson

Cripple Creek Lyrics (Remastered 2000) © WB Music Corp., Warner Chappell Music France, WB Music Corp. O/B/o Canaan Music, Inc., WB MUSIC CORP, FOURTH FLOOR MUSIC INC, CANAAN MUSIC, INC., CANAAN MUSIC INC, CANAAN MUSIC