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

They say Little Melvin got wild on bathtub gin
'Cause it made him grow to almost twice his size
He'd try to take over and sass Big Mable
And her great big fist would black 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 ev'ry morning
With two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head

Then late one rainy night Scarface Muzziola
Came in and started shovin' folks around
Big Mable Murphy was back in the kitchen
So just for fun he shot Little Melvin down

Early next morning down by the river
Scarface Muzziola was found real short of breath
They say that Scarface had died from a whoopin'
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'd whisper, "Lord, I'd give anything
If once more I could black Little Melvin's eyes"