Bitter Creek Lyrics
Once I was young and so unsure
I'd try any ill to find the cure
[Refrain]
An old man told me
Tried to scold me
"Woah, son, don't wade too deep in Bitter Creek"
Bitter Creek
[Verse 2]
Out where the desert meets the sky
Is where I go when I wanna hide
[Refrain]
Oh, peyote (Oh, peyote, ooh)
She tried to show me (Tried to show me)
You know there ain't no cause to weep at Bitter Creek
Bitter Creek
[Verse 3]
We're gonna hit the road for one last time
We can walk right in and steal 'em blind
[Refrain]
All that money (All that money, ooh)
No more runnin' (No more runnin')
And I can't wait to see the old man's face when I win the race
Bitter Creek
About
This song references a young man trying to find his way in the world. It is named after George “Bitter Creek” Newcomb.
Newcomb, also known as the “Slaughter Kid,” was originally a part of the Dalton Gang, but was deemed too wild and left for the Wild Bunch.
Newcomb and Charles Pierce, another Wild Bunch member, were killed by the Dunn Brother bounty hunters after going to visit Rose Dunn. Rose was the Brothers' sister and Newcomb’s girlfriend; Newcomb and Rose began dating when he was 27 and she was 14.
Bernie Leadon, Eagles multi-instrumentalist, wrote this song. A 2014 Uncut interview said, “Leadon wrote the lowering “Bitter Creek” after Dalton gangster George “Bitter Creek” Newcomb, although it only references outlaw exploits in its final verse.”
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 2.Twenty-One
- 5.Desperado
- 8.Outlaw Man
- 10.Bitter Creek
