[00:17.77] Everybody wants to know
[00:21.34] Why I sing the blues
[00:26.10] Yes, I say everybody wanna know
[00:29.85] Why I sing the blues
[00:34.38] Well, I've been around a long time
[00:37.53] I really have paid my dues
[00:42.67] I've laid in a ghetto flat
[00:45.13] Cold and numb
[00:47.63] I heard the rats tell the bedbugs
[00:49.57] To give the roaches some
[00:51.23] Everybody wanna know
[00:54.94] Why I'm singing the blues
[01:00.92] Yes, I've been around a long time
[01:03.17] People, I've paid my dues
[01:05.52]
[01:33.42] Everybody wanna know
[01:36.44] Why I'm singing the blues
[01:40.74] Yes, everybody wanna know
[01:45.22] Why I'm singing the blues
[01:51.05] I've been around a long, long time
[01:54.33] I've really, really paid my dues
[01:58.56] Blind man on the corner
[02:00.18] Begging for a dime
[02:02.20] The rollers come and caught him
[02:05.18] And throw him in the jail for a crime
[02:07.43] Everybody wanna know
[02:09.27] Why I'm singing the blues
[02:15.05] I've been around a long time
[02:19.06] I've paid my dues
[02:47.51] My kid's gonna grow up
[02:51.03] Gonna grow up to be a fool
[02:52.95] 'Cause they ain't got no more room
[02:55.11] No more room for him in school
[02:57.18] And everybody wanna know
[02:59.65] Why I'm singing the blues
[03:05.68] I say I've been around a long, long time
[03:10.06] Yes, I've really paid some dues
[03:13.43] Now Father Time is catching up with me
[03:15.68] Gone is my youth
[03:17.84] I look in the mirror everyday
[03:19.57] And let it tell me the truth
[03:21.97] And everybody wanna know
[03:25.12] Why I'm singing the blues
[03:29.35] Yes, I've been around a long, long time
[03:34.01] Now I'm gonna play Lucille
[04:03.62] I stood in line
[04:05.23] Down at the County Hall
[04:08.41] I heard a man say, "We're gonna build
[04:09.79] Some new apartments for y'all"
[04:12.49] And everybody wanna know
[04:15.91] Why I'm singing the blues
[04:20.69] Yes, I've been around a long, long time
[04:23.42] Yes, I've really paid my dues
[04:28.92] Yeah, you know the company told me
[04:31.05] Guess you're born to lose
[04:33.56] Everybody around me, people
[04:36.00] It seems like everybody got the blues
[04:39.11] But I had 'em a long time
[04:42.65] I've really, really paid my dues
[04:46.65] You know I ain't ashamed of it, people
[04:48.49] I just love to sing my blues

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