Poor Man's Blues

Poor Man's Blues
by
Robin Hall


Ole mattress sags like a sway back mule,
I got no dough, that's no news,
I got nothing but the poverty blues,
Yes I got the poor man's blues.

I went lookin' for a new place to stay,
Landlord want all my pay,
Public housing takes all my dues,
I got nothing but the poor man's blues.

My gal want go out at night,
I got an empty wallet and that ain't right.
Josie she says, "I'm done with you."
Now I got nothing but the poor man's blues.

Sitting here 'lone staring at the wall,
Medication's making my skin crawl.
Try to straighten out my life its true,
I got nothing but the poor man's blues.

Jobs they come and quickly go,
My body say yes, my brain say no,
Pain from my past and too much booze,
I got nothing but the poor man's blues.

I try to do what they tell me to,
"Y'all get you a job, get married too.
Get you a house, a car, that's the rules,"
How? I got nothing but the poor man's blues.

When the going gets rough, the rough get going,
Pardon me if my dumb is showing,
When you got nothing, and nothing to lose
You might as well sing the poor man's blues.

Got no hair on my shiny bald pate,
Got no beans, just an empty plate.
Got big holes in my socks and shoes,
That's just part a of the poor man's blues.