Oh, the ragman draws circles
Up and down the block
Id ask him what the matter was
But I know that he dont talk
And the ladies treat me kindly
And they furnish me with tape
But deep inside my heart
I know I cant escape
Oh, Mama
Can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Well, Shakespeare, hes in the alley
With his pointed shoes and his bells
Speaking to some French girl
Who says she knows me wеll
And I would send a message
To find out if shеs talked
But the post office has been stolen
And the mailbox is locked
Oh, Mama
Can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Mona tried to tell me
To stay away from the train line
She said that all the railroad men
Just drink up your blood like wine
And I said, Oh, I didnt know that
But then again, theres only one Ive met
And he just smoked my eyelids
And punched my cigarette
Oh, Mama
Can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Grandpa died last week
And now hes buried in the rocks
Now everybody still laughs about
How badly they were shocked
But me, I expected it to happen
I knew hed lost control
When hed build a fire on Main Street
And shot it full of holes
Oh, Mama
Can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the senator came down here
Showing everyone his gun
Handing out free tickets
To the wedding of his son
And me, I nearly got busted
And wouldnt it be my luck
To get caught without a ticket
And be discovered beneath a truck?
Oh, Mama
Is this really the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the tea preacher looked so baffled
When I asked him why he dressed
With twenty pounds of headlines
Stapled to his chest
But he cursed me when I proved to him
Then I whispered, said, Not even you can hide
You see, youre just like me
I hope youre satisfied
Oh, Mama
Can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the rainman gave me two cures
Then he said, Jump right in
The first was Texas medicine
The second was just railroad gin
And like a fool I mixed them
And it strangled up my mind
Now people just get uglier
And I have no sense of time
Oh, Mama
Can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now when Ruthie says come see her
In her honky-tonk lagoon
Where I can watch her waltz for free
Neath her Panamanian moon
And I say, Aw, come on now
You know you know about my debutante
And she says, Your debutante just knows what you need
But I know what you want
Oh, Mama
Can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the bricks lay on Grand Street
Where the neon madmen climb
They all fall there so perfectly
It all seems so well timed
And here I sit so patiently
Trying to find out what price
You have to pay to get out of
Going through all these things twice
Oh, Mama
Can this be the end?
To be stuck here inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Oh, Mama
Can this really be the end?
To be stuck here inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again