Well, the ragman draws circles 
Up and down the block 
I'd asked him, "What's the matter?" 
But I know he don't talk 

And the ladies treat me kindly 
And they had furnish me with tape 
But deep inside my heart I know 
I know I can't escape 

Oh Mama, can this really be the end 
To be stuck inside a Mobile 
With the Memphis blues again? 

Shakespeare, he's in the alley 
With his pointed shoes and bells 
Speaking with some French girl 
Who says she knows me well? 

And me, I would send a message 
To find out if she's talked 
But the post office has been stolen 
Mailbox is locked 

Oh Mama, can this really be the end 
To be stuck inside a Mobile 
With the Memphis blues again?

Now the rainman gave me two cures 
And he said, "Jump right in" 
The first was Texas medicine 
The second was just railroad gin 

An' like a fool I mixed them 
And it strangled up my mind 
Now people just get uglier 
An' I have got no sense of time 

Oh Mama, can this really be the end 
To be stuck inside a Mobile 
With the Memphis blues again?

 [bad word] [bad word] see her 
In her honky-tonk lagoon 
Where I can watch her waltz for free 
'Neath her Panamanian moon 

An' I said, [bad word] on now 
You know, you know about my debutante" 
She says, "You take your time, knows what you need 
But I know what you want" 

Oh Mama, can this really be the end 
To be stuck inside a Mobile 
With the Memphis blues again?

Now Mona, she tried to warn me 
Stay away from the railroad line 
She says all the railroad men 
Just drink up your blood like wine 

An' I said, "Oh, I didn't know that 
But then again, there's only one I've met 
He just smoked my eyelids 
An' he punched my cigarette" 

Oh Mama, can this really be the end 
To be stuck inside a Mobile 
With the Memphis blues again?