Instruments
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 || F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 || G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |
Verse 1
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 |Everybody wants to know Why I sing the blues | F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |Yes, I say everybody wanna know Why I sing the blues | G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |Well, I've been around a long time I really have paid my dues
Verse 2
| C7 | C7 |When I first got the blues They brought me over on a ship| C7 | C7 | Men were standing over me And a lot more with a whip | F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |And everybody wanna know Why I sing the blues | G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |Well, I've been around a long time Mm, I've really paid my dues
Verse 3
| C7 | C7 |I've laid in a ghetto flat Cold and numb | C7 | C7 |I heard the rats tell the bedbugs To give the roaches some| F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 | Everybody wanna know Why I'm singing the blues | G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |Yes, I've been around a long time People, I've paid my dues
Verse 4
| C7 | C7 |I stood in line Down at the County Hall | C7 | C7 |I heard a man say, "We're gonna build Some new apartments for y'all" | F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |And everybody wanna know Yes, they wanna know Why I'm singing the blues | G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |Yes, I've been around a long, long time Yes, I've really, really paid my dues
Solo
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 || F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 || G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |
Verse 5
| C7 | C7 |My kid's gonna grow up Gonna grow up to be a fool | C7 | C7 |'Cause they ain't got no more room No more room for him in school | F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |And everybody wanna know Everybody wanna know Why I'm singing the blues | G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |I say I've been around a long time Yes, I've really paid some dues
Verse 6
| C7 | C7 |Yeah, you know the company told me Guess you're born to lose| C7 | C7 | Everybody around me, people It seems like everybody got the blues| F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 | But I had 'em a long time I've really, really paid my dues | G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 |You know I ain't ashamed of it, people I just love to sing my blues
Instruments
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 || F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 || G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 |
Verse 7
| C7 | C7 |I walk through the cities, people On my bare feet | C7 | C7 |I had a fill of catfish and chitterlings Up and down Beale Street| F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 | You know I'm singing the blues Yes, I really I just have to sing my blues| G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 | I've been around a long time People, I've really, really paid my dues
Verse 8
| C7 | C7 |Now Father Time is catching up with me Gone is my youth| C7 | C7 | I look in the mirror everyday And let it tell me the truth| F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 | I'm singing the blues Mm, I just have to sing the blues| G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 | I've been around a long time Yes, yes, I've really paid some dues
Instruments
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 || F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 || G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 |
Verse 9
| C7 | C7 |Yeah, they told me everything Would be better out in the country | C7 | C7 |Everything was fine I caught me a bus uptown, baby | F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |And every people, all the people Got the same trouble as mine I got the blues, huh huh | G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 |I say I've been around a long time I've really paid some dues
Verse 10
| C7 | C7 | Blind man on the corner Begging for a dime | C7 | C7 |The rollers come and caught him And throw him in the jail for a crime| F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 | I got the blues Mm, I'm singing my blues | G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 |I've been around a long time Mm, I've really paid some dues
Verse 11
| C7 | C7 |Oh I thought I'd go down to the welfare To get myself some grits and stuff| C7 | C7 | But a lady stand up and she said "You haven't been around long enough"| F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 | That's why I got the blues Mm, the blues | G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 |I say, I've been around a long time I've really, really paid my dues
Solo 1
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 || F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 || G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 |
Solo 2
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 || F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 || G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 |
Solo 3
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 || F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 || G7 | F7 | C7 | G7 |
Solo 4
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 || F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 || G7 | F7 | C7 | G7 |
Solo 5 (fade out)
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 || F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 || G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 G7 |
