[Verse]

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


[Verse]

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
 G7  F7  C7


[Verse]

   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


[Verse]

  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]

 C7
 F7  C7
 G7  F7  C7


[Verse]

      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!