I wasn't born in Chigaco
But I can play the blues
I wasn't part of no union
But I paid my dues

I never got into a train wreck
But I went off the rails
I never went under the hammer
'cause I was hard as nails

I never swam in dirty water
But my name was mud
I never knew you was a virus
But you got into my blood

I never was a politician
But I learned to lie
I never led a delegation
I was too smart to try

I wasn't born in Chigaco
But I can play the blues
I wasn't part of no union
But I paid my dues

I never was no kind of prisoner
But I've been to jail
And I was never in a train wreck
But I went off the rails, big time
I never swam in dirty water
But my name was mud
I never knew you was a virus
You got into my blood, blood

I wasn't born in Chigaco
But I can play the blues, ah