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