Classic Poem

My mama done tol' me
When I was in knee pants [pigtails]
My mama done tol' me—son [hon],
A woman'll sweet talk [man's gonna sweet talk],
And give ya the big eye,
But when the sweet talkin's done
A woman's a two-face [a man is a two-face],
A worrisome thing
Who'll leave ya t'sing
The blues in the night.
Now the rain's a-fallin',
Hear the train a-callin'
Whooee
(My mama done tol' me).
Hear that lonesome whistle
Blowin' 'cross the trestle,
Whooee
(My mama done tol' me),
A whooee-duh-whooee,
Ol' clickety clack's
A-echoin' back
The blues in the night.
The evenin' breeze'll start
The trees to cryin'
And the moon'll hide its light,
When you get the blues in the night.
Take my word, the mockingbird'll
Sing the saddest kind of song,
He knows things are wrong
And he's right.
From Natchez to Mobile,
From Memphis to St. Jo,
Wherever the four winds blow;
I been in some big towns
An' heard me some big talk,
But there is one thing I know,
A woman's a two-face [a man is a two-face],
A worrisome thing
Who'll leave ya t'sing
The blues in the night.
My mama was right,
There's blues in the night.