Oh, the ragman draws circles
Up and down the block
I'd ask him what the matter was
But I know he doesn't talk
And the ladies treat me kindly
And furnish me with tape
But neither him nor the ragman
Can help me to escape

[Chorus:]
Oh, mama, this could be the end
I'm stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again

Now, Shakespeare'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 talked
But the post office has been stolen
And the mailbox is locked

Oh, mama, this might be the end
I'm stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again

Now, Mona tried to help me
She said stay away from trainline
She said all the railroad men do
Is drink your blood like wine
And I said: "Oh, I don't know
But then again there's only one I've met
And he just smoked my eyebeds
And punched my cigarette"

Oh, mama, this might be the end
I'm stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again

Well, grandpa died last week
He's buried in the rocks
Everybody's still talkin' about
How badly he was shocked
And me, I expected it
I saw he lost control
When he built a fire on Main Street
And filled it full of holes

Oh, mama, this might be the end
I'm stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again

Now, the Senator came down here
Was showing everyone his gun
Handing out free tickets
To the wedding of his son
And i nearly got busted
Wouldn't it be my luck
To be caught without a ticket
And be discovered 'neath the truck

Oh, mama, this might be the end
I'm stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again

Well, the preacher looks so baffled
Everytime I ask him why he dressed
With twenty pounds of headlines
Stapled on his chest
He'd curse me when i'd whisper
And say: "You can't hide
You see you're just like me
I hope you're satisfied"

Oh, mama, this might be the end
I'm stuck inside of Mobile
With the Nashville blues again

Now, the rainman gave me two cures
And he said jump right in
One was Texas medicine
The other was 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, I just need a friend
I'm stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again