stuck inside of mobile with the (memphis blue again)

aw - the ragman draw circles up and the down the block
i'd ask him what the matter was, but i know that he dont talk
and the ladies treat me kindly and they furnish me with tape
but deep inside my heart i know i cant escape
oh, mama - can this really be the end
to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again

well, shakespeare, he's in the alley with his pointed shoes and his bells
speaking to some french girl who says she knows me well
and i would send a message to find out if she's talked
but the postoffice has been stolen and the mailbox is locked
oh, mama - can this really be the end
to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again

mona tried to tell me, she said to stay away from the train line
she said that all the railroad men just drink up your blood like wine
and i said "oh, i didnt know that" - but then again there's only one i've met
and he just smoked my eyelids and punched my cigarette
oh, mama - can this really be the end
to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again

grampa died last week and now he's buried in the rocks
but everybody still talks about how badly they were shocked
but me - i expected it to happen, i knew he'd lost control
when i sp- he built a fire on main street and shot it full of holes
oh, mama - can this really be the end
to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again

now the senator he came down here showing everyone his gun
handing out free tickets to the wedding of his son
and me, i nearly got busted and wouldnt it be my luck
to get caught without a ticket and be discovered beneath a truck
oh, mama - can this really be the end
to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again

now the tea creature looked so baffled when i asked him why he dressed
with 20 pounds of headlines stapled to his chest
but he cursed me when i proved to him,
            and i whispered and said "not even you can hide
you see you're just like me - i hope your satisfied"
oh, mama - can this really be the end
to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again

now the rainman gave me two cures and he said "jump right in"
the one was texas medicine, the other was just railroad gin
and like a fool i mixed them and it strangled up my mind
and now people just get uglier and i have no sense of time
oh, mama - can this really be the end
to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again

now when ruthy says come see her in a honkytonk lagoon
where i can watch her waltz for free 'neath the panamanian moon
and i say "aw, come on now - you know, you know about my debutante"
and she says "your debutante just knows what you need but i know what you want"
oh, mama - can this really be the end
to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again

now the bricks lay on grand street where the neon madmen climb
they all fall there so perfectly, it all seemed so well timed
and here i sit so patiently, waiting to find out what price
you have to pay to get out of going through all these things twice
oh, mama - is this really the end
to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again