Why I Sing The Blues Lyrics

Why I Sing The Blues

Everybody wants to know
Why I sing the blues
Yes, I say everybody wanna know
Why I sing the blues
Well, I`ve been around a long time
I really have paid my dues
When I first got the blues
They brought me over on a ship
Men were standing over me
And a lot more with a whip
And everybody wanna know
Why I sing the blues
Well, I`ve been around a long time
Mm, I`ve really paid my dues
I`ve laid in a ghetto flat
Cold and numb
I heard the rats tell the bedbugs
To give the roaches some
Everybody wanna know
Why I`m singing the blues
Yes, I`ve been around a long time
People, I`ve paid my dues
I stood in line
Down at the County Hall
I heard a man say, "We`re gonna build
Some new apartments for y`all"
And everybody wanna know
Yes, they wanna know
Why I`m singing the blues
Yes, I`ve been around a long, long time
Yes, I`ve really, really paid my dues
Now I`m gonna play Lucille.
My kid`s gonna grow up
Gonna grow up to be a fool
`Cause they ain`t got no more room
No more room for him in school
And everybody wanna know
Everybody wanna know
Why I`m singing the blues
I say I`ve been around a long time
Yes, I`ve really paid some dues
Yeah, you know the company told me
Guess you`re born to lose
Everybody around me, people
It seems like everybody got the blues
But I had `em a long time
I`ve really, really paid my dues
You know I ain`t ashamed of it, people
I just love to sing my blues
I walk through the cities, people
On my bare feet
I had a fill of catfish and chitterlings
Up in Downbill Street
You know I`m singing the blues
Yes, I really
I just have to sing my blues
I`ve been around a long time
People, I`ve really, really paid my dues
Now Father Time is catching up with me
Gone is my youth
I look in the mirror everyday
And let it tell me the truth
I`m singing the blues
Mm, I just have to sing the blues
I`ve been around a long time
Yes, yes, I`ve really paid some dues
Yeah, they told me everything
Would be better out in the country
Everything was fine
I caught me a bus uptown, baby
And every people, all the people
Got the same trouble as mine
I got the blues, huh huh
I say I`ve been around a long time
I`ve really paid some dues
One more time, fellows!
Blind man on the corner
Begging for a dime
The rollers come and caught him
And throw him in the jail for a crime
I got the blues
Mm, I`m singing my blues
I`ve been around a long time
Mm, I`ve really paid some dues
Can we do just one more?
Oh I thought I`d go down to the welfare
To get myself some grits and stuff
But a lady stand up and she said
"You haven`t been around long enough"
That`s why I got the blues
Mm, the blues
I say, I`ve been around a long time
I`ve really, really paid my dues
Fellows, tell them one more time.
Ha, ha, ha.  That`s all right, fellows.
Yeah!