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Chickasaw County Jail
Tom Russell Lyrics

Howdy boys, my name is Charlie
Born in Chickasaw County Jail
My father, Albert, he was the sheriff
He shot horse thieves, deer and quail

I came west to make my fortune
I ain't gonna work in your factory
I married me an L.A. angel
While I was pumping gasoline

She was smart and she was pretty
She may have been too smart for me
She graduated with high honours
In her class down at USC

And she wrote poetry and painted
She impressed this loud farm boy
Her father, George, he owned the drugstore
Her name it was Margery Malloy

George Malloy was a pioneer boy
And he was Irish to the bone
He smoked a pipe and he took me fishing
Taught me the words to 'Casey Jones'

I sold his daughter on dreams of glory
Cocktail parties and high-toned cars
In the war I worked in movies
Handing Oscars to the stars

I built homes and baseball diamonds
We had two daughters, we had two boys
A swimming pool and four racehorses
And I loved Margery Malloy

I also loved the gaming tables
Poker, craps, it's the same to me
Investing other people's money
Indicted on grand larceny

So here I sit, I'm back in jail, boys
Because I would not cop a plea
Friends and relatives they vanished
But she never turned on me

I had pockets full of silver
I spread around my wealth and joy
I had it all, then I had nothing
I finally lost Margery Malloy

Hey, but I dealt cards to Hopalong Cassidy
I played football and I ran track
Forty-eight six in the quarter mile, boys
Old Charlie Russell, he don't look back

I could run and I could fight, boys
I knocked out a peeping-tom
I drank with stars and baseball heroes
I ended up in an older folks home

Howdy boys, my name is Charlie

Contributed by Grace G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Tom Russell (born in Los Angeles in either 1947 or 1948) is an American singer-songwriter from California, currently living in El Paso, Texas. His music incorporates elements of folk, traditional country & western, border and cowboy music of the American West. Russell's songs have been recorded by artists such as Johnny Cash, Ian Tyson, Nanci Griffith, Dave Alvin and others. In addition to his music, he is also an artist and published author.

In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. Read Full BioTom Russell (born in Los Angeles in either 1947 or 1948) is an American singer-songwriter from California, currently living in El Paso, Texas. His music incorporates elements of folk, traditional country & western, border and cowboy music of the American West. Russell's songs have been recorded by artists such as Johnny Cash, Ian Tyson, Nanci Griffith, Dave Alvin and others. In addition to his music, he is also an artist and published author.

In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. These featured Andrew Hardin and accordionist Fats Kaplin.

In the 1990s Russell made a number of solo albums, collaborated with blues singer Barrence Whitfield on two albums, and also recorded an acoustic album mixing original material with his favorite cowboy-themed songs. His albums include several guest appearances from other folk, country, and Americana artists, such as Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. His song "Outbound Plane", co-written with Nanci Griffith, became a Top Ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss. His most significant album from this period is the 1999 folk opera, The Man From God Knows Where.

His more recent albums include "Blood and Candle Smoke" (2009) and "Mesabi" (2011).