Why I Sing The Blues

C7 
Everybody wants to know 

Why I sing the blues 
     F7 
Yes, I say everybody wanna know 
      C7 
Why I sing the blues 
                G7 
Well, I've been around a long time 
F7                    C7 
I really have paid my dues 

     C7 
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 
F7 
And everybody wanna know 
               C7 
Why I sing the blues 
                G7 
Well, I've been around a long time 
F7                      C7 
Mm, I've really paid my dues 




C7 
I've laid in a ghetto flat 

Cold and numb 

I heard the rats tell the bedbugs 

To give the roaches some 
F7 
Everybody wanna know 
        C7 
Why I'm singing the blues 
               G7 
Yes, I've been around a long time 
F7                   C7 
People, I've paid my dues 

  C7 
I stood in line 

Down at the County Hall 

I heard a man say, "We're gonna build 

Some new apartments for y'all" 
F7 
And everybody wanna know 

Yes, they wanna know 
        C7 
Why I'm singing the blues 
               G7 
Yes, I've been around a long, long time 
F7                               C7 
Yes, I've really, really paid my dues 

(Now I'm gonna play Lucille) 


Solo 

 C7 
 F7  C7 
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   C7 
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 
F7 
And everybody wanna know 

Everybody wanna know 
        C7 
Why I'm singing the blues 
                G7 
I say I've been around a long time 
F7                         C7 
Yes, I've really paid some dues 

               C7 
Yeah, you know the company told me 

Guess you're born to lose 

Everybody around me, people 
                                F7 
It seems like everybody got the blues 

But I had 'em a long time 
     C7 
I've really, really paid my dues 
           G7 
You know I ain't ashamed of it, people 
F7                     C7 
I just love to sing my blues 


Solo 

 C7 
 F7  C7 
 G7  F7  C7 




  C7 
I walk through the cities, people 

On my bare feet 

I had a fill of catfish and chitterlings 

Up in Downbill Street 
F7 
You know I'm singing the blues 
       C7 
Yes, I really 

I just have to sing my blues 
G7 
I've been around a long time 
F7                   C7 
People, I've really, really paid my dues 

    C7 
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 
F7 
I'm singing the blues 
    C7 
Mm, I just have to sing the blues 
G7 
I've been around a long time 
F7                    C7 
Yes, yes, I've really paid some dues 


Solo 

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      C7 
Yeah, they told me everything 

Would be better out in the country 

Everything was fine 

I caught me a bus uptown, baby 
F7 
And every people, all the people 

Got the same trouble as mine 
C7 
I got the blues, huh huh 
                G7 
I say I've been around a long time 
F7               C7 
I've really paid some dues 

One more time, fellows! 

C7 
Blind man on the corner 

Begging for a dime 

The rollers come and caught him 
                                      F7 
And throw him in the jail for a crime 

I got the blues 
        C7 
Mm, I'm singing my blues 
          G7 
I've been around a long time 
F7                        C7 
Mm, I've really paid some dues 


Can we do just one more? 

C7 
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 
                                       F7 
"You haven't been around long enough" 

That's why I got the blues 
    C7 
Mm, the blues 
  G7 
I say, I've been around a long time 
F7                       C7 
I've really, really paid my dues 

Fellows, tell them one more time 

Solo 

(Ad lib) 
 C7 
 F7  C7 
 G7  F7  C7 

Ha, ha, ha. That's all right, fellows 

Yeah!