My name is Charlie Brennan from Charleston I come

I've traveled this wide world over

Some ups and downs I've had

I've traveled this wide world over

Some ups and downs I've saw

But I never really knew what misery was till I hit old Arkansas

I dodged behind the depot to dodge that blizzard wind

I met a walking skeleton he said his name was Thomas Quinn

Well his hair hung down in rat-tails on his lean and lantern jaw

He invited me to his hotel he said it was the best in Arkansas

I followed my conductor to his respective place

Where pity and starvation were to be seen on every face

Well his bread it was corn dodger and his meat I could not chaw

But he charged me a half a dollar in the State of Arkansas

And I went out and got me a job on a farm farming

But I didn't care for the work or the farmer

Or his wife and none of his children

So I went up to him one day and I said

"Mister I'm gonna quit this job

And you can just pay me off right now"

He says "Okay son if that's the way you feel about it"

And he took me out in the barn and he handed me a mink skin

I said "I don't want this thing I want my money

What we're using for currency down here now"

So I took it when into town hunted up a place

Put my mink skin up on the counter and turned

If the bartender didn't toss me a pint

And he picked up my mink skin blowed the hair back on it

Put it under the counter

Fetched me out fourteen rabbit skins and

Three possum hives for change

I'm going to the Indian territory and live outside the law

I'll bid farewell to the kin bricks in the State of Arkansas

If you ever see me back again I'll give to you my paw

But it'll be though a telescope from Hell to Arkansas