There's trouble on the street tonight
I can feel it in my bones
I had a premonition that
He should not go alone

I knew the gun was loaded
But I didn't think he'd kill
Everything exploded
And the blood began to spill

So, baby
Here's your ticket
Put the suitcase in your hand
Here's a little money now

Do it just the way we planned
You be cool for twenty hours
And I'll pay you twenty grand

I'm sorry it went down like this
Someone had to lose
It's the nature of the business
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues

The sailors and the pilots
The soldiers and the law
The payoffs and the ripoffs
And the things nobody saw
No matter if it's heroin
Cocaine or hash
You've got to carry weapons
Cause you always carry cash

There's lots of shady characters
Lots of dirty deals
Every name's an alias
In case somebody squeals

It's the lure of easy money
It's gotta very strong appeal
Perhaps you'd understand it better
Standing in my shoes

It's the ultimate enticement
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues

See it in the headlines
You hear it every day
They say they're gonna stop it
But it doesn't go away

They move it through Miami
Sell it in L.A
They hide it up in Telluride
I mean it's here to stay
It's propping up the governments
Of Columbia and Peru
You ask any DEA man
He'll say there's nothing we can do

From the office of the President
Right down
To me and you
Me and you

It's a losing proposition
But one you can't refuse
It's the politics of contraband
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues