Goin' Down Slow - B.B. King

Alright, alright

Thank you so much ladies and gentlemen right here

Right here I want 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, I got something to tell you

He heard about Chicago

He worked hard over here, made all of that money, 800 dollars

After caring for 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

He said, «Set him up!», cous’s payin' for

Had all the go-go girls set up, waitin' up

They carried him downtown and put him up in one of the pleasure hotels

They brought him back out and said, «Set him up!», cous’s payin' for

His money got a little lighter, they lured him out from the Lute and brought

him down to Robert’s

And then he said, «Set him up!», cous’s payin' for

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 with the …

And then, ladies and gentlemen, the go-go girls would get fewer

His friends was fewer

All his buddies are startin' passin' him on the other side of the street

And then it happened all his buddies were 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, whoah, if I don’t get well no more

Whoah, I’ve had my fun, people, ooh, if I don’t get well no more

Yes, my health is faillin' on me now, people

Ooh, and I’m goin', goin' down slow

Yes, 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, ooh, to forgive, people, my sins

Oohooh mother, mother I live alone with my prayers

Ooh, tell my mother, people, tell her this is all in prayers

Yes, if you don’t see this old body, mother

Hey, you know I’m out in the world somewhere