I got twenty silk cotton, no light
A river full of fish that won′t bite
I'm happily married but somethin′ ain't right
That's why they call it the blues

Blunt boy fool and washboard Sam
Neither of them as blue as I am
Memphis Mid and Memphis Slim
I′d trade places with her or him, with her or him

The blues came in, slept with my wife
Cut her to pieces, planted the knife
Found me guilty, sentenced to hang
If you didn′t want the blues
Well, you shouldn't have sang, sang, sang
Ooh oh, well you shouldn′t have sang

I won the golden ticket but with no back
Paid me in pennies, my heart just sank
Had to leave the house in the chief-turned-tap
That's why they call it the blues

Sunny Boy Williamsons one and two
Kept their takings in the sole o′ their shoe
Notes in the front, coins in the heel
I ain't got neither on the real blues deal
I′m the real blues deal

The blues came in, slept with my wife
Cut her to pieces, planted the knife
Found me guilty, sentenced to hang
If you didn't want the blues
Well, you shouldn't have sang, sang, sang
Ooh oh, well you shouldn′t have sang

Pint of Smith, J. B. Lenoir
Shot in the stomach, killed in a car
With the blues in the room, it gets kinda dark
Just stick out your hand and pick up your harp

The blues came in, it will knock at your door
In the still of the night, with a circular saw
A circular saw, a noose for your neck
If you see the blues comin′, you're hittin′ the deck

The blues came in, slept with my wife
Cut her to pieces, planted the knife
Found me guilty, sentenced to hang
If you didn't want the blues
Well, you shouldn′t have sang, sang, sang
Ooh oh, well you shouldn't have sang