Why I Sing The Blues

Instruments
  C7   C7   C7   C7
  F7   F7   C7   C7
  G7   F7   C7   C7

Verse 1
Everybody C7Wants To Know      Why I Sing ThC7e Blues                   C7        C7​
Yes, I Say F7Everybody Wanna Know      Why I Sing The F7Blues         C7                      C7​
Well, I've Been Around A G7Long Time      I Really HaveF7 Paid My Dues                         C7       C7​

Verse 2
When I FirsC7t Got The Blues   They Brought Me Over OC7n A Ship
  C7Men Were Standing Over Me     And A Lot More With A Whip C7​
And Everybody WannaF7 Know         Why I Sing The BF7lues                      C7        C7​
Well, I've Been Around A LG7ong Time      Mm, I've ReallF7y Paid My Dues                   C7              C7​

Verse 3
I've LC7aid In A Ghetto Flat    Cold And NC7umb
I HC7eard The Rats Tell The Bedbugs      To Give The RC7oaches Some
  F7Everybody Wanna Know                  Why F7I'm Singing The Blues   C7                          C7​
Yes, I've BeenG7 Around A Long Time       People, I've PF7aid My Dues                        C7       C7​

Verse 4
I StC7ood In Line      Down C7At The County Hall
I HC7eard A Man Say, "We're Gonna Build   Some New ApaC7rtments For Y'all"
And EveryF7body Wanna Know        Yes, They WannaF7 Know  Why I'm Singing The Blues                          C7                      C7​
Yes, I've Been Around A LG7ong, Long Time      Yes, I've ReallyF7, Really Paid My Dues                       C7              C7​

Verse 5
My Kid'C7s Gonna Grow Up    Gonna Grow Up To Be A FoC7ol
'Cause They C7Ain't Got No More Room       No More Room For HiC7m In School
And EF7verybody Wanna Know       Everybody Wanna F7Know   Why I'm Singing The Blues                        C7                         C7​
I Say I've Been G7Around A Long Time       Yes, I've ReF7ally Paid Some Dues                 C7                 C7​

Verse 6
Yeah, You Know The Company Told C7Me      Guess You're Born C7To Lose
  C7    Everybody Around Me, People      It Seems Like EC7verybody Got The Blues
  F7    But I Had 'Em A Long Time            I'veF7 Really, Really C7Paid My Dues                           C7​
You Know I Ain't Ashamed Of G7It, People      I Just Love To SinF7g My Blues            C7                      C7   G7​

Instruments
  C7   C7   C7   C7
  F7   F7   C7   C7
  G7   F7   C7   C7 G7

Verse 7
I WC7alk Through The Cities, People    On My Bare Feet   C7​
I HC7ad A Fill Of Catfish And Chitterlings     Up And Down BeC7ale Street
  F7    You Know I'm Singing The Blues            Yes, I F7Really   I Just HaC7ve To Sing My Blues                           C7​
  G7    I've Been Around A Long Time        People, I'F7ve Really, Really Paid My Dues             C7                     C7   G7​

Verse 8
Now Father TimC7e Is Catching Up With Me      Gone Is My Youth     C7​
  C7    I Look In The Mirror Everyday       And Let It C7Tell Me The Truth
  F7    I'm Singing The Blues                F7Mm,     I JusC7t Have To Sing The Blues                          C7​
  G7    I've Been Around A Long Time           Yes, YeF7s, I've Really Paid Some Dues          C7                       C7   G7​

Verse 9
Yeah, They Told MC7e Everything   Would Be Better Out In The Country                            C7​
Everything Was Fine C7      I Caught Me A Bus Uptown, Baby C7​
And EveryF7 People, All The People   Got The Same Trouble As MineF7  I Got The Blues, Huh Huh                         C7                 C7​
I Say I've Been G7Around A Long Time       I've Really PF7aid Some Dues       C7                        C7   G7​

Verse 10
  C7 Blind Man On The Corner      Begging ForC7 A Dime
The RolC7lers Come And Caught Him      And Throw Him In The Jail C7For A Crime
  F7    I Got The Blues          F7        Mm,  IC7'm Singing My Blues                    C7​
I've Been Around G7A Long Time      Mm, I've ReaF7lly Paid Some Dues                                C7     C7   G7​

Verse 11
Oh I ThouC7ght I'd Go Down To The Welfare    To Get Myself Some Grits C7And Stuff
  C7But A Lady Stand Up And She Said      "You Haven't Been C7Around Long Enough"
  F7    That's Why I Got The Blues                  F7Mm,  The BluesC7                    C7​
I Say, I've Been G7Around A Long Time                  I've RF7eally, Really Paid My Dues                 C7              C7   G7​

Solo 3
  C7   C7   C7   C7
  F7   F7   C7   C7
  G7   F7   C7   G7