(official lyrics) Oh the ragman draws circles Up an' down the block I'd ask him what the matter was But i know that he don't talk An' the ladies treat me kindly An' they furnish me with tape But deep inside my heart I know i can't 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 an' his bells Speakin' to some french girl Who says she knows me well An' i would send a message To find out if she's talked But the post office has been stolen An' 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 To stay away from the train line She said that all the railroad men Just drink up your blood like wine An' i said, "Oh i didn't know that'' But then again there's only one i met An' he just smoked my eyelids An' punch my cigarette. Oh mama can this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again. Grandpa died last week An' 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 he built a fire on main street An' 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 came down here Showin' everyone his gun Handin' out free tickets To the wedding of his sun An' me i nearly got busted An' wouldn't it be my luck To get caught without a ticket An' be discovered beneath the truck. Oh mama is this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again. Now the tea pitcher looked so baffled When i asked him why he dressed With twenty pounds of headlines Stapled to his chest But he cursed me when i proved to him Then i whispered an' said "Not even you can hide You see you're just like me I hope you're 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 An' he said "jump right in" The one was Texas medicine The other was just railroad gin An' like a fool i mixed them An' it strangled up my mind An' now people just get uglier An' 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 When Ruthie says come see her In her honky tonk lagoon Where i can watch her waltz for free Neath the panamanian moon An' i say "Ah come on now You know you know about my debutante An' 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 mad men climb They all fall there so perfectly It all seems so well timed An' here i sit so patiently Waitin' to find out what price You have to pay to get out of Goin' thru all these things twice. Oh mama is this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again.