Dirty Overhalls
Words by Woody Guthrie, Music by Del McCoury
Contact Publisher -TRO-Essex Music Group

You can wash my pair of dirty overhalls
I’ll ride that train you call the Cannon Ball
From Baltimore to the Frisco Bay.
I worked six months in a lumber town this fall
All I got left is these dirty overhalls,
Aint  got a dime, aint that a shame?

I worked 6 weeks a dynamitin’ coal,
All I got left’s these dirty overhalls;
A dirty shame. Now whose to blame?
Good gal, listen, please dont turn away,
I’ll have a car and suit o’ clothes someday!
Instead of dirty old overhalls.

Honey gal, sweetheart, I do the best I can,
I’m just a poor boy, a hard working man,
My money’s gone – when I get done.
If you leave me, I’ll be so sad and blue!
What is there for a working man to do?
These overhalls! These overhalls!

I seen a rich man driving in his car.
He had a woman for every cylinder -
A good warm bed.  A bottle of gin.
I work like a dog. I’m broke all the time.
Couldn’t buy a woman a two bit bottle of wine,
These overhalls they smell too bad.

Rich man took my woman away from me
He’ll be sorry, sorry wait and see!
When I get out of these overhalls.
The cops ought to put that money man in jail,
He stole my money and took away my gal,
Now whose a gonna wash - my overhalls?


© Copyright 1971 (Renewed), 2015 Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc./ TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc. & McCoury Music (BMI)
Available on:

Del And Woody
The Del McCoury Band