OH! THEY SAY SOME PEOPLE LONG AGO
WERE SEARCHING FOR A DIFF'RENT TUNE
ONE THAT THEY COULD CROON
AS ONLY THEY CAN
THEY ONLY HAD THE RHYTHM SO
THEY STARTED SWAYING TO AND FRO
THEY DIDN`T KNOW JUST WHAT THEY HAD
AND THAT IS HOW THE BLUES REALLY BEGAN:
THEY HEARD THE BREEZE IN THE TREES
SINGING WEIRD MELODIES
AND THEY MADE THAT
THE START OF THE BLUES
AND FROM A JAIL CAME THE WAIL
OF A DOWN HEARTED FRAIL
AND THEY PLAYED THAT
AS PART OF THE BLUES
FROM A WHIPPOORWILL OUT ON A HILL
THEY TOOK A NEW NOTE
PUSHED IT THROUGH A HORN
'TIL IT WAS BORN INTO A BLUE NOTE
AND THEN THEY NURSED IT, REHEARSED IT
AND GAVE OUT THE NEWS
THAT THE SOUTHLAND
GAVE BIRTH TO THE BLUES!