OH... THEY SAY
SOME PEOPLE LONG AGO...
WERE SEARCHIN'
FOR A DIFFERENT TUNE
ONE THAT THEY COULD CROON
AS ONLY THEY CAN
THEY ONLY HAD THE RHYTHM
SO... THEY STARTED
SWAYIN' TO AND FRO
THEY DIDN'T KNOW
JUST WHAT TO USE
THAT IS HOW THE BLUES
REALLY BEGAN
THEY HEARD THE BREEZE
IN THE TREES
SINGIN' 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 WHIP-POOR-WILL
OUT ON A HILL
THEY TOOK A NEW NOTE
PUSHED IT THROUGH A HORN
'TIL IT WAS WORN
INTO A BLUE NOTE
AND THEN THEY NURSED IT
AND REHEARSED IT
AND GAVE OUT THE NEWS
THAT THE SOUTHLAND
GAVE BIRTH TO THE BLUES...
OH, THE BREEZE FROM THE TREES
THE WAIL FROM THE JAIL
A BUZZ FROM THE COUSIN
OF A NIGHTINGALE
AND SOUTHLAND
GAVE BIRTH TO THE BLUES.....