C                               F 
Dad was my hero  God called him away 
          C                 G7 
Momma was lonely  and I was afraid 
               C                        F 
With no one to lean on  I turned to the booze 
                C      G7                        C 
Hard times come early  when you’re born with the blues 
  
                                           F 
Railroads were leaving  and airplanes were in 
                  C                 G7 
The great war was brewing  about to begin 
           C                    F 
Hungry and lonesome  nothing to lose 
            C       G7                C 
Raised in a boxcar  and born with the blues 
  
                                F 
Born with the blues  trouble in mind 
            C                           G7 
Smoking and drinking  by the time I was nine 
                 C                          F 
In debt from the start  I’m still paying my dues 
          C       G7                C 
Crazy and lonely  and born with the blues 
  
                                            F 
In spite of the cocaine  and in spite of it all 
              C                     G7 
God gave me a woman  to cushion the fall 
                        C                     F 
You’re like Paul of the bible  spreading good news 
           C        G7                C 
A man on a journey  and born with the blues