Now Bensenville is a train yard over in Chicago

And the bumpers y'all well that's just the coupling

Between the freight cars

And Calay is California that's what that mean

And the choke picker that someone who picks artichokes

Now you got the story y'all



Do you hear St. Louis Slim lost a leg

He just outside Bensenville

For some damn reason he was riding on the bumpers

Act like a young man will



And now the last we spoke he was going down to Memphis

Said he got himself a girl

Said going queer, riding these rails

Give himself back to the world



But me I'm going down out to Calay

And I believe that we're I first met him?

So bo' let's put our coins together

And drink a bottle to St. Louis Slim?



Well, alright



I hear the looking for choke pickers out in Watsonville

Your welcome to tag along

And maybe someday when I'm old and gray

I'll write this XXXX down in a song



But in the meantime I'm going out to Calay

I believe that where I first met him

So bo' let's put our coins together

And drink a bottle to St. Louis Slim



And drink a bottle to St. Louis Slim

And drink a bottle to St. Louis Slim

And drink a bottle to St. Louis' sleeve

You remember him, you remember him



But in the meantime I'm going out to Calay

I believe that we're both but him?

So bo' let's put our coins together

And drink a bottle to St. Louis Slim



And drink a bottle to St. Louis Slim

And drink a bottle to St. Louis Slim

And drink a bottle to St. Louis Slim

And drink a bottle to St. Louis



One bottle to St. Louis

One bottle to St. Louis Slim