Why I Sing The Blues

Instruments
  E7   E7   E7   E7
  A7   A7   E7   E7
  B7   A7   E7   E7

Verse 1
Everybody E7Wants To Know      Why I Sing ThE7e Blues                   E7        E7​
Yes, I Say A7Everybody Wanna Know      Why I Sing The A7Blues         E7                      E7​
Well, I've Been Around A B7Long Time      I Really HaveA7 Paid My Dues                         E7       E7​

Verse 2
When I FirsE7t Got The Blues   They Brought Me Over OE7n A Ship
  E7Men Were Standing Over Me     And A Lot More With A Whip E7​
And Everybody WannaA7 Know         Why I Sing The BA7lues                      E7        E7​
Well, I've Been Around A LB7ong Time      Mm, I've ReallA7y Paid My Dues                   E7              E7​

Verse 3
I've LE7aid In A Ghetto Flat    Cold And NE7umb
I HE7eard The Rats Tell The Bedbugs      To Give The RE7oaches Some
  A7Everybody Wanna Know                  Why A7I'm Singing The Blues   E7                          E7​
Yes, I've BeenB7 Around A Long Time       People, I've PA7aid My Dues                        E7       E7​

Verse 4
I StE7ood In Line      Down E7At The County Hall
I HE7eard A Man Say, "We're Gonna Build   Some New ApaE7rtments For Y'all"
And EveryA7body Wanna Know        Yes, They WannaA7 Know  Why I'm Singing The Blues                          E7                      E7​
Yes, I've Been Around A LB7ong, Long Time      Yes, I've ReallyA7, Really Paid My Dues                       E7              E7​

Verse 5
My Kid'E7s Gonna Grow Up    Gonna Grow Up To Be A FoE7ol
'Cause They E7Ain't Got No More Room       No More Room For HiE7m In School
And EA7verybody Wanna Know       Everybody Wanna A7Know   Why I'm Singing The Blues                        E7                         E7​
I Say I've Been B7Around A Long Time       Yes, I've ReA7ally Paid Some Dues                 E7                 E7​

Verse 6
Yeah, You Know The Company Told E7Me      Guess You're Born E7To Lose
  E7    Everybody Around Me, People      It Seems Like EE7verybody Got The Blues
  A7    But I Had 'Em A Long Time            I'veA7 Really, Really E7Paid My Dues                           E7​
You Know I Ain't Ashamed Of B7It, People      I Just Love To SinA7g My Blues            E7                      E7   B7​

Instruments
  E7   E7   E7   E7
  A7   A7   E7   E7
  B7   A7   E7   E7 B7

Verse 7
I WE7alk Through The Cities, People    On My Bare Feet   E7​
I HE7ad A Fill Of Catfish And Chitterlings     Up And Down BeE7ale Street
  A7    You Know I'm Singing The Blues            Yes, I A7Really   I Just HaE7ve To Sing My Blues                           E7​
  B7    I've Been Around A Long Time        People, I'A7ve Really, Really Paid My Dues             E7                     E7   B7​

Verse 8
Now Father TimE7e Is Catching Up With Me      Gone Is My Youth     E7​
  E7    I Look In The Mirror Everyday       And Let It E7Tell Me The Truth
  A7    I'm Singing The Blues                A7Mm,     I JusE7t Have To Sing The Blues                          E7​
  B7    I've Been Around A Long Time           Yes, YeA7s, I've Really Paid Some Dues          E7                       E7   B7​

Verse 9
Yeah, They Told ME7e Everything   Would Be Better Out In The Country                            E7​
Everything Was Fine E7      I Caught Me A Bus Uptown, Baby E7​
And EveryA7 People, All The People   Got The Same Trouble As MineA7  I Got The Blues, Huh Huh                         E7                 E7​
I Say I've Been B7Around A Long Time       I've Really PA7aid Some Dues       E7                        E7   B7​

Verse 10
  E7 Blind Man On The Corner      Begging ForE7 A Dime
The RolE7lers Come And Caught Him      And Throw Him In The Jail E7For A Crime
  A7    I Got The Blues          A7        Mm,  IE7'm Singing My Blues                    E7​
I've Been Around B7A Long Time      Mm, I've ReaA7lly Paid Some Dues                                E7     E7   B7​

Verse 11
Oh I ThouE7ght I'd Go Down To The Welfare    To Get Myself Some Grits E7And Stuff
  E7But A Lady Stand Up And She Said      "You Haven't Been E7Around Long Enough"
  A7    That's Why I Got The Blues                  A7Mm,  The BluesE7                    E7​
I Say, I've Been B7Around A Long Time                  I've RA7eally, Really Paid My Dues                 E7              E7   B7​

Solo 3
  E7   E7   E7   E7
  A7   A7   E7   E7
  B7   A7   E7   B7