Oh the odour of the ale and the smell of tobacco

The scent of the old sour tea

All around joy and laughter

Bringing me more misery

I hear old Slim twanging on the jukebox

Singing of a life's thats free

I see you in the bar from the jailhouse window

Drinkin' with a fool like me



Yesterday it was a big prospector

Last week it was me

Today I see you got yourself a buffalo man

Who will the next fool be?

I wonder will be smile when you've got all his money

Will he finish up where I am?

I see you in the bar from the jail house window

Drinkin' with another man



Corner of the bar sits the newspaper editor

Guess hes got his paper to bed

Pretty soon now they can read all about it

Read all the things you've said

See him frown as he reads the first copy

Scans it line by line

I guess its gotta be around 3.30

cause old Jimmy's always on time



Oh the odour of the ale and the smell of tobacco

The scent of the old sour tea

All around joy and laughter

Bringing me more misery

I hear old Slim twanging on the jukebox

Singing of a life's thats free

I see you in the bar from the jailhouse window

Drinkin' with a fool like me



See the black eye on the tall young stranger

Oh no hes no friend of mine

How was I to know that he's a policeman

None of you told me in time

See Bob Tudawli and the great white hunter

And old run jungle Jack

Laughin and drinkin' none of ya thinkin'

of the thirsy prisioner out the back



Every moment is an hour of torture

how the long hours pass

Tasting in my imagnination every frosted glass

When I'm free im gonna seek and find him

Find that fiend of hell

The man who built the window of the lockup facing

the garden of the Vic Hotel



Oh the odour of the ale and the smell of tobacco

The scent of the old sour tea

All around joy and laughter

Bringing me more misery

I hear old Slim twanging on the jukebox

Singing of a life's thats free

I see you in the bar from the jailhouse window

Drinkin' with a fool like me



I see you in the bar from the lockup window

Drinkin' with a fool like me

With another fool like me

I'm barred from the bar by the bars on my window 

and you're with a fool like me