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

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

Everybody wanna know

Why I'm singing the blues

Yes, everybody wanna know

Why I'm singing the blues

I've been around a long, long time

I've really, really paid my dues

Blind man on the corner

Begging for a dime

The rollers come and caught him

And throw him in the jail for a crime

Everybody wanna know

Why I'm singing the blues

I've been around a long time

I've paid my dues

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

Why I'm singing the blues

I say I've been around a long, long time

Yes, I've really paid some 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

And everybody wanna know

Why I'm singing the blues

Yes, I've been around a long, long time

Now I'm gonna play Lucille

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

Why I'm singing the blues

Yes, I've been around a long, long time

Yes, I've really paid my 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