Now when I was 'bout three years old and Charlee he was twelve
He was tellin me all about how the wall in Berlin fell
Said it got drunk one night til it could not stand up straight
Said it slept the whole night through and it woke up far too late

Now it is what it is and it ain't what it ain't, of course
Only one thing that I know, got a friend named Charlee Horse

Now when I was 'bout eight years old and Charlee he was ten
They was chasin' me 'round the block, I was runnin' 'way from them
Well, Charlee he got pipin' mad and he yell right in my ear
"If you don't turn round and sock 'em one, you'll be runnin' all your years"

Now it is what it is and it ain't what it ain't, of course
Only one thing that I know, got a friend named Charlee Horse

Now when I was 'bout nine years old and Charlee was the same
We'd lay outside just watching ants til Mamma call my name
We dug up old relics inside a mummy's old tomb
He let me have them all because my dad had left that June

Now it is what it is and it ain't what it ain't, of course
Only one thing that I know, got a friend named Charlee Horse

Now when I was thirteen years old and Charlee he was one
He was with me in detention, making me laugh, having fun
Well right there sitting next to me was a beautiful young lass
Charlee said to talk to her and ask her to the dance

She looked at me and smiled, her braces twinkling in florescence
She opened up her mouth and said the first of many "Yes"s

Standing by the punch bowl wiping off my clammy hands
I took hers and as we went off, well, we began the dance
I smiled at her. She smiled at me. Romance had filled the air
I turned to smile at Charlee, but Charlee had disappeared

Now it is what it is and it ain't what it ain't, of course
Only one thing that I know, got a friend named Charlee Horse

Now I'm almost forty-three. My kids say I've gone gray
Their mamma has the custody, but it all works out okay
Now there's all different kinds of things that a mind can conceive
Only one thing that I know and it's that I still believe

Now it is what it is and it ain't what it ain't, of course
Only one thing that I know, got a friend named Charlee Horse