Transcribed from Lil Johnson, recorded April 23, 1929.
From Lil
Johnson, Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Vol. 1: 23 April
1929 - 22 April 1936; Document Records DOCD-5307.
I sing these blues
In a minor key,
Everybody in town's trying to backbite me;
I love my man
Better than I do myself,
Now he's lovin' somebody else.
That's why I'm singing these minor blues.
Early this mornin'
On the break of day,
I felt the pillow where my daddy used to lay,
He left last night,
Didn't say why,
Didn't even kiss his mama goodbye.
That's why I've got these minor blues.
I combed his hair,
Manicured his nails,
Took my money and got him out of jail;
I brought him coffee,
I brought him tea,
Brought him everything but the jailhouse key.
That's why I'm singing these minor blues.
I sing these blues
In a lowdown key,
To let you know how he mistreated me.
Get up in the morning,
Work hard all day,
Come home at night and give him all my pay,
That's why I'm singing these minor blues.
Nobody knows
The trouble I seen,
Nobody knows my misery;
Keep on singing to me,
This minor key,
Maybe someday he'll come back to me.
That's why I'm singing these minor blues.
Return to the Heptune Jazz
and Blues Lyrics Page.
Published 1/1/99.