This document contains summaries of 9 blues songs from the 1940s-1960s. The songs cover themes of heartbreak, relationships, regret, and perseverance. They were performed by notable blues artists including Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Aretha Franklin, and Buddy Guy.

1. Good Morning,
Heartache
Billie Holiday - 1946
Good morning heartache
You old gloomy sight
Good morning heartache
Thought we said goodbye last night
I turned and tossed
until it seems you have gone
But here you are with the dawn
Wish I forget you, but you're here to stay
It seems I met you
When my love went away
Now everyday I stop I'm saying to you
Good morning heartache what's new
Stop haunting me now
Can't shake you no how
Just leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight to Sunday blues
Good morning heartache

2. Paying the Cost to be the Boss
B. B. King - 1967
You act like you don't want to listen
When I'm talking to you
You think you outta do baby
Anything you wanna do
You must be crazy baby
You just gotta be outta your mind
As long as I'm payin' the bills woman
I'm payin' the cost to be the boss
I'll drink if I want to Now that you got me
And play a little poker too You act like you ashamed
Don't you say nothing to me You don't act like my woman
As long as I'm taking care of you You just usin' my name
As long as I'm workin baby I tell you I'm gonna have all the money
And payin' all the bills And I don't want no back-talk
I don't want no mouth from you Cause if you don't like the way I'm doin‘
About the way I'm supposed to live Just pick up your things and walk
You must be crazy woman You gotta be crazy baby
Just gotta be outta your mind You must be outta your mind
As long as I foot the bills As long as I'm payin' the bills woman
I'm payin' the cost to be the boss I'm payin' the cost to be the boss

3. Fattening Frogs for Snakes
Sonny Boy Williamson - 1957
It took me a long time, to find out my mistakes
Took me a long time, to find out my mistakes
(it sho' did man)
But I bet you my bottom dollar, Yeh it is nineteen and fifty-seven,
I'm not fattenin' no more frogs for snakes I've got to correct all of my mistakes
I found out my downfall, back in nineteen and thirty
(I started checkin') Whoa man, nineteen and fifty-seven,
I found out my downfall, from nineteen and thirty I've got to correct all of my mistakes
I'm tellin' all of my friends,
I'm not fattenin' no more frogs for snakes I'm tellin' my friends includin' my wife
and everybody else,
All right now... not fattenin' no more frogs for snakes

4. Key to the Highway
Little Walter - 1958
I got the key to the highway,
and I'm billed out and bound to go
I'm gonna leave here runnin',
cause walkin' is most too slow
Give me one more kiss mama,
I'm goin' down on the border, just before I go
now where I'm better known Give me one more kiss mama,
Cause woman you don't do nothin', just before I go
but drive a good man 'way from home I'm gonna leave this town,
ain't comin' back no more“
Now when the moon creeps over the mountain,
I'll be on my way So long baby, now I must say goodbye,
Now I'm gonna walk this old highway, So long baby, now I must say goodbye,
until the break of day I'm gonna walk this highway, 'till the day I die"

5. Sinner’s Prayer
Lowell Fulsom (Eric Clapton) - 1994
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me.
Well if I've done somebody wrong, Lord, have mercy if you please.
I used to have plenty of money, the finest clothes in town,
But bad luck and trouble overtaken me, bound to get me down.
Please have mercy, Lord have mercy on me.
Well if I've done somebody wrong, Lord, have mercy if you please.
Keep on working now, child.
Lord every morning.
Well if I've been a bad boy, baby, I declare I'll change my ways.
I don't want bad luck and trouble to follow me all my days.
Please have mercy, Lord have mercy on me.
Well if I've done somebody wrong, Lord, have mercy if you please.

6. It Serves You Right to Suffer
John Lee Hooker - 1965
It serve you right to suffer
Serve you right to be alone
Serve you right to suffer
Serve you right to be alone Ev'ry time you see a woman
Because you're still livin‘ She makes you think of yours
In days done past and gone Ev'rytime you see a woman
She make you think of your own
Ev'rytime you see a woman She treated you so bad
She make you think of yours You just couldn't keep from cryin‘
Yeah, ev'rytime you see a woman
She make you think of yours Your life never be the same
And that's why, that's why, that's why You're still livin' in the days
You can't keep from cryin' Done gone past and gone
And memories
Your doctor put you on
Milk, cream and alcohol You can't live on
Your doctor put you on In that way
Milk, cream and alcohol In the past
He told you that's why Them days
You can't sleep at night Is gone
From nerves, so bad
Yeah. Gone

7. Chain of Fools
Aretha Franklin - 1967
Chain, chain, chain, chain, chain, chain
Chain, chain, chain
Chain of fools
Five long years I thought you were my man You told me to leave you alone
But I found out I'm just a link in your chain My father said come on home
You got me where you want me My doctor said take it easy
I ain't nothing but your fool Whole bunch of lovin' is much too strong
You treated me mean
Oh, you treated me cruel I'm added to your chain, chain, chain
Chain, chain, chain, chain
Chain, chain, chain Your chain, chain of fools
Your chain of fools
One of these mornings the chain is gonna break
Every chain has got a weak link But up until then, yeah, I'm gonna take all I can take
I might be weak, child, but I'll give you strength Chain, chain, chain, chain, chain, chain
Your chain of fools...

8. We’re Gonna Make It
Little Milton - 1965
We may not have a cent to pay the rent
But were gonna make it, I know we will
We may have to eat beans every day
But were gonna make it, I know we will
And if a job is hard to find
And we have to stand in the welfare line
Our car may be old, our two rooms cold
I've got your love and you know you got mine But were gonna make it, I know we will
So were gonna make it, I know we will We may not can spare a roach a crumb
But were gonna make it, I know we will
We may not have a home to call our own And if I have to carry round a sign
Sayin Help the deaf, the dumb, and the blind
But were gonna make it, I know we will I got your love and you know you got mine
We may have to fight hardships alone So were gonna make it, I know we will
But were gonna make it, I know we will
Cause togetherness brings peace of mind Were gonna make it
Were gonna make it, baby
We can't stay down all the time It might seem hard sometime
I've got your love and you know you got mine But don't worry, darlin baby
So were gonna make it, I know we will Were gonna keep on tryin

9. Mack the Knife
Louis Armstrong - 1957
Dig man, there goes Mack the Knife
Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear...and he shows them a pearly white
Just a jackknife has Mac Heath, dear...and he keeps it out of sight
When that shark bites with his teeth, dear...scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves though wears Mac Heath, dear...so there’s not a trace of red
On the sidewalk...Sunday morning, baby...lies a body oozin' life
Someone's sneakin' 'round the corner...is that someone Mack the Knife?
From a tugboat...by the river...a cement bag’s droopin' down
Yes, the cement's just for weight, dear...bet you Macky's back in town
Looky here, Louie Miller disappeared dear...after he drawing out his cash
Now Mac Heath spends like a sailor...did our boy do somethin' rash?
Sukey Tawdry, Jenny Diver…Lotte Lenya, and sweet Lucy Brown
Oh, the line forms on the right, dear...now that Macky's back in town
I said that line forms on the right, babe...now that Macky's back in town.

10. Ten Years Ago
Buddy Guy - 1960
If I could just call back ten years ago
What I would do, no one would ever know
If I could just go back ten years ago Yes and every old person I meet nowadays
What I would do, no one would ever know keep tellin’ me son, your life is just begun
Yes, cause the life I’m living now I guess I have to forget all about this issue
just don’t seem to be happy to me no more and try to live my life just like it is
I guess I have to forget all about this issue
Yes, it’s been so many sad, sad years and try to live my life just like it is
people since I really had my fun
It been so many sad, sad, sad, sad, sad years But, I want everybody to remember me.
since I really had my fun I would just like to call back ten years ago.

11. Why I Sing the
Blues
Everybody wants toB. King -
B. know 1969 kid's gonna grow up
My I'm singing the blues
Why I sing the blues Gonna grow up to be a fool Mm, I just have to sing the blues
Yes, I say everybody wanna know 'Cause they ain't got no more room I've been around a long time
Why I sing the blues No more room for him in school Yes, yes, I've really paid some dues
Well, I've been around a long time And everybody wanna know
I really have paid my dues Everybody wanna know Yeah, they told me everything
Why I'm singing the blues Would be better out in the country
When I first got the blues I say I've been around a long time Everything was fine
They brought me over on a ship Yes, I've really paid some dues I caught me a bus uptown, baby
Men were standing over me And every people, all the people
And a lot more with a whip Yeah, you know the company told me Got the same trouble as mine
And everybody wanna know Guess you're born to lose I got the blues, huh huh
Why I sing the blues Everybody around me, people I say I've been around a long time
Well, I've been around a long time It seems like everybody got the blues I've really paid some dues
Mm, I've really paid my dues But I had 'em a long time
I've really, really paid my dues Blind man on the corner
I've laid in a ghetto flats You know I ain't ashamed of it, people Begging for a dime
Cold and numb I just love to sing my blues The rollers come and caught him
I heard the rats tell the bedbugs And throw him in the jail for a crime
To give the roaches some I walk through the cities, people I got the blues
Everybody wanna know On my bare feet Mm, I'm singing my blues
Why I'm singing the blues I had a fill of catfish and chitterlings I've been around a long time
Yes, I've been around a long time Up and down Beal Street Mm, I've really paid some dues
People, I've paid my dues You know I'm singing the blues
Yes, I really Oh I thought I'd go down to the welfare
I stood in line I just have to sing my blues To get myself some grits and stuff
Down at the County Hall I've been around a long time But a lady stand up and she said
I heard a man say, "We're gonna build People, I've really, really paid my dues "You haven't been around long enough“
Some new apartments for y'all“ That's why I got the blues
And everybody wanna know Now Father Time is catching up with me Mm, the blues
Yes, they wanna know Gone is my youth I say, I've been around a long time
Why I'm singing the blues I've really, really paid my dues
Yes, I've been around a long, long time I look in the mirror everyday
Yes, I've really, really paid my dues And let it tell me the truth