When the train pulled into the station
He rolled up his sleeve, rosined up his bow
Fiddle upside-down, Orange Blossom Special
If you want to make a living then you've got to put on a good show

When he smelled the smoke and the cinders
Slicked his hair back, opened up his case
Played Cherokee Fiddle, played for the whiskey
Good whiskey never let him lose his place

He was always there playing for the miners
Devil's Dream was a tune they all understood
Then he'd go back to Oklahoma
And wait 'till the trains were runnin' and the weather was good

When he smelled the smoke and the cinders
Slicked his hair back, opened up his case
Played Cherokee Fiddle, played for the whiskey
Good whiskey never let him lose his place

Now the Indians are dressin' up like cowboys
And the cowboys are puttin' leather and turquoise on
And the music is sold by the lawyers
And the fools who fiddled in the middle of the stations are gone

Some folks say they'll never miss them
The fiddle screeched like the engine break
Ol' Cherokee Fiddle gone forever
Like the music that the whistle on an old locomotive make

So when you smell the smoke and the cinders
Slick your hair back, open up your case
Play Cherokee Fiddle, play it for the whiskey
Good whiskey never lets you lose your place
No, good whiskey never lets you lose your place