B.B. King Lyrics

Riley B. King, better known as B. B. King or "The King of Blues" (born September 16, 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi), is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, widely considered one of the best and most respected blues musicians of all time.

Fools Get Wise

by B.B. King
recording of 1969

I ask you where you're goin' and you tell me where you been
I can tell you been doin' me wrong, baby, from the shape you're in
You better open up you're eyes baby, 'cause fools do get wise
Your late up and sleep all day, you jump and you ramble all night
Well the fool that I am baby, I can tell you ain't doin' me right
You better wake up and realize that fools do get wise
Yeah, when the cat's away, I know the rat 's gonna play
But I can't tell what you're puttin' down, woman, you play when the cat 's around
You better try this one on for size, I tell you fools do get wise
I'm through being you're fool baby, I ain't gonna give you another red cent
Gonna tell the rent man to padlock the door, 'cause I ain't gonna pay your rent no more
You better open up you're eyes woman, fools do get wise

Fool Me Once
by Will Jennings / Joe Sample

When I was a young man
Just gotten out
I didn't know
What this world was all about
I was lied to, I was cheated
I played all kinds of fools
It didn't take me long
To learn the rules
Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me
Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me
Lady swore she loved me
Loved through and through
And then my pal said
She said she loved him, too
And the milkman and the postman
And in a dream
I saw her with the local
Football team
Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me
Fool me once
Do me as bad as you can do
Shame on you
Shame on you
Fool me twice
I'll be as mad as I can be
Shame on me
Shame on me
Banker took my money
Bought him a stake
The banker swore that one day
We'd both feel great
Then the 80's turned to the 90's
And my money can't be found
Banker's on a long trip
Out of town
Fool me once
Do me as bad as you can do
Shame on you
Shame on you
Fool me twice
I'll be as mad as I can be
Shame on me
Shame on me

Freedom
by Tommy Faragher / Lotti Golden

Don't understand
How I could be so blind
Something is changing
And I don't know why
Heaven knows how much I sacrifice
(I hear you, I hear you)
Now nothing in this world
Will ever change her mind
Freedom, what she needs
She wants freedom
'Cause she got dreams
In her heart it's time to go
A long way from home
Yes, it's a long way from home
I still remember
Her standing there
(Yeah, baby)
The sun was shining
On her soft brown hair
Well, all my life
Every tear I cried
I saw the future in her eyes
Now her heart says it's time to go
A long way from home
Freedom is what she needs
She wants freedom
'Cause she's got dreams
And I hope she knows she's not alone
'Cause it's a long way from home
It's a long way from home
I think about her and then I pray
That she'll be safe and warm
(Safe and warm)
I get on my knees
(Down on my knees)
Oh Lord
(Oh Lord)
Freedom is what she needs
She wants freedom
'Cause she's got dreams
Give her freedom to believe
Her heart says it's time to go
A long way from home
Such a long way from home
It's a long way from home
Freedom
(Uh huh, that's what I want)
Freedom
(That's what I need)
Freedom
(That's what I've got to have)
Freedom
(Oh baby, that's what I've gotta have)
Freedom
(Oh baby, baby)
Freedom
Freedom, freedom
(She needs freedom)
Freedom
(That's what she needs)
(She wants, she wants freedom)
Freedom, she wants freedom
(She's got to have)
Freedom, she wants freedom...

Gambler's Blues
by B.B. King / Johnny Pate

I don't know what love is, but I think I must have it bad
Yeah, you I don't know what love is, people, whoah, but I think I must have it bad
Yeah, you know some people say love is just a gamble, but whatever it is, it's enough to drive old me mad
They say love is just a proposition, people. it's strictly a game of give and take
Yeah, they tell me love, love, love is a proposition, people, they say it's strictly a game of give and take
Whoah, but my woman took all I gave her and I'm here to tell to you that love proposition stuff 's a fake
Oh, I don't claim to be no gambler people, oh, I don't know much about the dice
Yes, I don't claim to be no gambler people, I tell you I don't know much about the dice
Oh, but I wait and my baby knows, she knows I'm not the kind who's gonna crap out twice
Yes, she left me early this mornin', I don't know the reason why
She just got up early this mornin', didn't even say good-bye
But I love you, I love you, you know I love you baby, although you made me cry
Yes, there are a lot of women who love me, oh, but how you satisfy

Get Myself Somebody
by Maya Angelou / B.B. King

I was by myself. tryin' to get my thoughts together
Tryin' to figure out me something, that would make my life a little better
So I came up with one thing and I don't think I'm wrong
Ain't nothing but a fool that wanna live his life alone
So I got to get myself somebody
Somebody to call my own
'Cause it ain't nothing but a fool want to live his life all alone
From log rollers to ditch diggers
From beggars to presidents
Whoah, everybody's got somebody if they got a little sense
So I got to get myself somebody
Somebody to call my own
Ain't nothing but a fool want to live his life all alone
Gettin' used to my baby's ways is the price I'm gonna pay
Gonna love her everyday when she talk too much and not know what she say
Gonna hold on to you baby like a dog holds on to a bone
'Cause nothing in this world want to live his life alone
So I got to get myself somebody
Somebody to call my own
'Cause it's nothing but a fool want to live his life all alone, all alone
Well I get so lonely sometimes, so lonely
Oh, I get so lonely sometimes, I'm all alone
I'm all alone

Get Off My Back Woman
by B.B. King / Ferdinand Washington

Yeah, you get off of my back, baby
Can't you tell you're choking me
Oh I ain't no pony, baby
Can't you tell you're choking me
Yeah, you just get off of my back, baby
Can't you see you're hurting me
Well, I don't mind helping you, baby
Every now, now and then
Yes, you ain't helped yourself, baby
Since God knows when
So you just get off of my back now, baby
Can't you see you're hurting me
Yes, I'm standing here telling you, baby
This is the end of the line
Yes, I'm tired of you riding me, baby
I declare I ain't lying
So you just get off of my back, baby
Can't you see you're hurting me
Well, you get off, get off, get off, baby
'Cause you're a heavy, heavy load
Yes, you can catch yourself
Another ride, baby
Somewhere further down the road
You just get off, get off, baby
Can't you see you're hurting me

Get Out Of Here
by B.B. King / Sam Ling

Here is somethin' baby, I want you to do
I ain't barrin' nobody baby, I mean you and your lyin' friends too
Don't cry baby, don't even spill a tear
Yes, you just pack your clothes baby,
baby and get on outta here, get on outta here
Yeah, get on outta here
You and your friends you say you had fun,
you went every place woman, that you wanted to go
And when I tried to talk to you baby,
you didn't listen to a word I say
And now baby you must be crazier, that juice has gone to your head
Ain't no need of cryin' woman, baby, don't even spill a tear
You just pack your clothes baby,
I mean and get on outta here
I gave you a chance and that you know,
you got greedy and thirsty baby and you spent more and more
There's no need cryin' baby, don't even spill a tear,
you just pack your clothes baby, baby and get on outta here
Top

Ghetto Woman
by B.B. King / Dave Clark

She's just a ghetto woman, waitin' for her man to come home
Oh she's just a ghetto woman, waitin' for her man to come home
Said she's a ghetto woman, waitin' for her man to come home
A rat run cross the floor, a roach ran up the wall
Everything is noise around her, that don't seem to bother her at all
Ghetto woman, sittin' there all alone
She's a ghetto woman, waitin' for her man to come home
Yes the t.v.'s on, radio blastin' the news
Somebody down the hall, playin' the low down dirty blues
Oh, ghetto woman, she's all alone
She's just a ghetto woman, waitin' for her man to come home
Oh she's a ghetto woman, she's a ghetto woman
Oh, ghetto woman, what's on your mind
Sometimes I look in your face, can't help but cry

Glory Of Love
by Billy Hill

You got to give a little
Take a little
And let your poor heart
Break a little
That's the story of
That's the glory of love
You've got to laugh a little
Cry a little
Until the clouds
Roll by a little
That's the story of
That's the glory of love
As long as there's the two of us
We've got the world
And all its charms
But when the world
Is through with us
We've got each other's arms
You've got to win a little
Lose a little
And always have
The blues a little
That's the story of
That's the glory of love
As long as there's the two of us
That's right, B.
Yeah, we've got the world
And all its charms
And when the world
Is through with us, baby
We've got each other's arms
You've got to win a little
And lose a little
And always have
The blues a little
That's the story of
That's the glory of
That's the story
The glory of love
That's the story of
That's the glory of love

Goin' Down Slow
by James Burke Oden

(spoken:
Alright, alright.
Thank you so much ladies and gentlemen right here,
right here I want to tell you a little story.
This is about a country boy from down home.
This young man has never been north before.
I want you to listen to me, I got something to tell you.
He heard about Chicago.
He worked hard over here, made all of that money, 800 dollars.
After caring for his crop, he called his cousin in Chicago,
and he said, "Cousin, I'm on my way".
He picked all of that cotton.
I said this is about a country boy like myself, B.B. King you know.
So when he get to Chicago, his cousin meet him and bring him out to the club.
He said, "Set him up!", cous's payin' for.
Had all the go-go girls set up, waitin' up.
They carried him downtown and put him up in one of the pleasure hotels.
They brought him back out and said, "Set him up!", cous's payin' for.
His money got a little lighter, they lured him out from the Lute and brought him down to Robert's.
And then he said, "Set him up!", cous's payin' for.
And then the 800 dollars, bein' more money then my man had ever had, began to run out.
Then they moved him out and put him down with the ...
And then, ladies and gentlemen, the go-go girls would get fewer.
His friends was fewer.
All his buddies are startin' passin' him on the other side of the street.
And then it happened all his buddies were gone.
And my man knew only one thing to do, it was getting cold there, like it is today,
you know what I'm talking about.
He went down to the railroad yard,
and one of the few ladies that had helped him to spent his money, came by to see him.
And she said "You fool!, you fool!", I wouldn't have spend your money, but the rest of them was spending your money so I decided to spend my portion too, you know.
But ladies, God bless 'em, wonderful something's aren't they?.
They always like to feel like they're needed, and she knew my man needed her bad.
He gotten sick, he's layin' down there under the boxcar.
Couldn't read so well, so you know if he couldn't read so well, he couldn't write too well,
you know what I'm talkin' about?
So this is a letter back down home, I know what I'm talkin' about.
It go like this:)
I've had my fun, whoah, if I don't get well no more
Whoah, I've had my fun, people, ooh, if I don't get well no more
Yes, my health is faillin' on me now, people
Ooh, and I'm goin', goin' down slow
Yes, tell my mother, people, please tell her the shape I'm in
Ooh yes, tell my people, mother, tell her the shape I'm in
Tell her to pray for me, people, ooh, to forgive, people, my sins
Oohooh mother, mother I live alone with my prayers
Ooh, tell my mother, people, tell her this is all in prayers
Yes, if you don't see this old body, mother
Hey, you know I'm out in the world somewhere