Well I fish all day from my boat that’s the way I make my living
I got an old greasy dog and a riverboat for my home
I’m as common as a stream-boat on the Mississippi river
Yeah I’m a bayou bum and what little bit I got is my own

Yeah I’m a bayou bum and I wouldn’t work if I could
Yeah I’m a scavenger on the river and it treats me good
Dreaming and a wishing fighting and a fishing that’s all I’ve ever done
You can do as you please but as for me I’m gonna stay a bayou bum

There ain’t a thing on the Mississippi river I ain’t seen
Yeah I fought my way from Memphis to New Orleans
Yeah I’ve had people say I’m as no good as they come
But the words don’t hurt the likes of a bayou bum

Well I’ve had many chances to marry but I’ve turned them down
Yeah I’ve left pretty little girls crying in many waterfront towns
And if I die tonight you can say I’ve had my fun
Yeah loving and living the life of a bayou bum