Indigo Man (for Weldon “Juke Boy” Bonner)
Trouble all around, trouble morning 'til night,
Trouble for the Indigo Man, he don't get no rest.
The door bell ringin'? A hand a knockin'?
Ain’t no good on the other end of that.
Indigo Man, you so blue, so true,
they weren't ready for you man,
like Vincent so many years ago.
Your problems they just pile up, Indigo Man.
Went to England to sing for some bread and they lost your clothes instead,
Parents died when you're young, wife divorced, left you some,
put down the guitar and pick up the mop, dismal jobs never stop making ends meet,
You just couldn't get no rest, you know that ain't right.
Indigo Man, you so blue, so true,
Real blues, no cerulean, no sapphire, or lazuline,
but the blooooozzz, those hit by hard times and couldn't hit back.
You were singin', you kept singin', but they weren't listenin'.
Traveling blues, riding that dog town to town, chasing a break down,
You'd arrive and find it gone, now you got troubles all around.
Indigo Man just trying to get ahead, to get things right,
You made a better living overseas than in your own home town.
Funny how it goes, funny how it gets you down, funny all the way around.
Lonely without your woman, sun almost down?
Gotta find a better place to go, all aboard the dog headed out of town,
More troubles for Indigo Man on the road he's bound.
Indigo Man, you so blue, so true,
they weren't ready for you man,
like Dr. Reich years ago,
Problems keep piling up for the Indigo Man.
Today your spirit's departed, but the records remain,
A legend of hard times singin' the blues,
A poet with rhythm all his own, why you sang by yourself, alone,
Oh you could play, so keep playing Indigo Man, cause now we be listenin'.
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Stay off Lyons Avenue