If you're ever in our city,
on the back streets of our town,
And you see an old man
toting a small guitar around,
That's Country Jack, the pickin' man,
a star of long ago.
An old tin cup on his guitar
Now the wino of Skid Row
He used to play on Main Street
Till someone closed the door
Someone stole his big hit song
And he don't play there no more
But Country Jack's still singin'
the only song he knows
The one big song that broke his heart
The whine -o of Skid Row
So won't you give ol' Country Jack
a nickel or a dime
And don't you think his big hit song
is worth a drink of wine
And please don't judge ol' Country Jack
or tell him where to go
Cause he knows why you pass him by
Though I know of Skid Row
So if you're ever in our city,
on the back streets of our town,
And you see an old man
toting a small guitar around,
You may recall his melody,
a song from long ago,
Before ol' Country Jack
became the wino of Skid Row
So won't you give ol' Country Jack
a nickel or a dime
And don't you think his big hit song
is worth a drink of wine
And please don't try to criticize
the only song I know
And this old man will play again
the wino of Skid Row
And please don't try to criticize
the only song I know
And this old man will play again
The whine -o of Skid Row