Alright, alright
Thank you so much ladies and gentlemen right here
Right here I'd like to tell you a little story
This is about a country boy from down home
This young man has never been north before
I want you to listen to me now, I've got something to tell you

He heard about Chicago
He worked hard all the year, made all of that money, 800 dollars
After gathering his crop, he called his cousin in Chicago
And he said, "Cousin, I'm on my way"
He picked all of that cotton
I said this is about a country boy like myself, B.B. King you know
So when he get to Chicago, his cousin meet him and bring him out to the club
Hе said, "Set 'em up! Cous' is payin' for it"
Had all the go-go girls sеttin' up, waitin' on 'im
They carried him downtown and put him up in one of the plush hotels
They brought him back out and said, "Set 'em up! Cous' is payin' for it"
As money got a little lighter, they moved him out from the Lute and brought him down to Robert's
And then he said, "Set him up! Cous' is payin' for it"
And then the 800 dollars, bein' more money then my man had ever had, began to run out
Then they moved him out and put him down to the Persian
And then, ladies and gentlemen, the go-go girls was gettin' fewer
His friends was fewer
All his buddies had start to passin' him on the other side of the street
And then it happened all his money was gone
And my man knew only one thing to do, it was getting cold there, like it is today
You know what I'm talking about
He went down to the railroad yard
And one of the few ladies that had helped him to spent his money, came by to see him
And she said "You fool, you fool! I wouldn't have spend your money but the rest of them was spending your money so I decided to spend my portion too" you know
But ladies, God bless 'em, wonderful something's aren't they?
They always like to feel like they're needed, and she knew my man needed her bad
He gotten sick, he's layin' down there under the boxcar
Couldn't read so well, so you know if he couldn't read so well, he couldn't write too well
You know what I'm talkin' about?
So this is a letter back down home, I know what I'm talkin' about
It go like this:

I've had my fun, woah, if I don't get well no more
Woah, I've had my fun, people, ooh if I don't get well no more
Yeah, you know my health is failin' on me now, people
Ooh and I'm goin', I'm goin' down slow

Yeah, tell my mother, people, please tell her the shape I'm in
Ooh yes, tell my people, mother, tell her the shape I'm in
Tell her to pray for me people
Ooooh, to forgive me for my sins

Ooh-ooh mother, mother I live alone with my prayers
Ooh tell my mother people, tell her this is all in my prayers
Yes, if you don't see this old body mother
Hey, you know I'm out in the world somewhere