I've
been playing guitar since before I was born
I've
been playing guitar since before I was born
I
sing with a voice like the birds in the morn
Last
night I had a dream as I slept:
All
the great bluesmen (and women, it's true)
Came
to hear me play, in a golden venue
yeah,
they came to hear me play
After
the set they all sat so still and so quiet
when
what I wanted was to see them all riot
Up
on the stage came Bo Diddley and Stevie Ray
and
dozens of others all lead by Rob Johnson.
Oh
yeah, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson.
(Talk
about your little slice of heaven!)
Lightnin'
Hopkins was chosen to speak
He
laid his hand on my shoulder and looked in my eye
"Son
your playin' is right out of sight,
but
should better be done where good folk can't hear.
Your
voice reminds us of dreams in our sleep
where
we'd wake up screamin' and startin' to weep"
"None
of that matters, though, when singing the blues.
The
problem, here, is; you haven't paid dues"
Listen,
young man, you haven't paid dues!"
Your
wife still loves you after thirty long years
Your
kids are still healthy and haven't seen jail
You've
a job, a car, and satellite TV
And
lookie here son, your dog's a hundred and three!"
(damn,
a hundred and three!)
Your
car's not in the shop
You
own your own home
You
haven't got issues over which to grind axes
Hell
your worst problem, son, is paying back taxes!
"None
of that matters, though, when singing the blues.
The
problem, here, is; you haven't paid dues"
Listen,
young man, you haven't paid dues!"
They
left me all alone on that stage.
Hours
of unplayed music, page after page
with
a brand new refrain roaring in my head
The
problem, here, is; you ain't paid dues"
Listen,
young man, you ain't paid dues!"
I've
got the unpaid dues blues.
Yeah,
I'm singing the unpaid dues blues
