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Why I Sing the Blues Lyrics by Aretha Franklin

Spirit In the Dark

1970

[Verse 1]
Everybody wants to know, they ask me why I sing the blues
Everybody wants to know now, why I keep crying the blues
Well, I’ve been around little while
And I’ve paid some dues, yes, I have
People laying in ghetto flats, cold and numb
Looking at roaches, telling bedbugs to move over and give ‘em some
Oh, it’s hot in here, that’s one reason I’m singing the blues, yeah
Been around a long time
God knows I’ve paid a few dues, yes, I have

[Bridge]
Stood in line at the County Hall
Heard a man say: “We’re gonna build some high rises for y’all
Up in renewal, work on a removal, talk to me, yeah”
Don’t feel bad about it, just trying to be free

[Verse 2]
I don’t want my kids growing up to be no fools
You keep rapping to me y’all ain’t got no room in school, yeah
And you want to know why I’m singing the blues, yeah
Been around a little while
And I’ve seen some people paying dues, yes, I have

[Verse 3]
Some of my friends told me I was born to lose
But when I looked around they were singing the same old kind of blues, now
And you want to know why I’m singing ‘em this evening, yeah
Don’t be saying those, everybody pays some dues sometimes
Yeah, sing the blues now

About “Why I Sing the Blues” by Aretha Franklin

Read the complete lyrics to "Why I Sing the Blues" by Aretha Franklin from the album "Spirit In the Dark" in 1970. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Soul, R&B.

"Why I Sing the Blues" is performed by Aretha Franklin. from the album "Spirit In the Dark" in 1970 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Why I Sing the Blues", explore more songs by Aretha Franklin using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Why I Sing the Blues" is credited to Aretha Franklin. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Why I Sing the Blues" appears on "Spirit In the Dark" in 1970.

Visit the Aretha Franklin artist page at /artist/aretha-franklin for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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