why i sing the blues

Aretha Franklin

Everybody wants to know, they ask me why I sing the blues
Everybody wants to know now, why I keep crying the blues
Well, I ve been around little while
and I ve paid some dues, yes, I have

People laying in ghetto flats, cold and numb
Looking at roaches
telling bedbugs to move over and give ?em some
Oh, it s hot in here
that s one reason I m singing the blues, yeah
Been around a long time
God knows I ve paid a few dues, yes, I have

Stood in line at the County Hall
Heard a man saying
?We re gonna build some apartments for y all
Up in renewal, work on a removal, talk to me, yeah?
Don t feel bad about it, just trying to be free

I don t want my kids growing up to be no fools
You keep rapping to me y all ain t got no room in school, yeah
And you want to know why I m singing the blues, yeah
Been around a little while
and I ve seen some people paying dues, yes, I have

Some of my friends told me I was born to loose
But when I looked around
they were singing the same old kind of blues, now
And you want to know why I m singing ?em this evening, yeah
Don t be saying those
everybody pays some dues sometimes
Yeah, sing the blues no