Like a long time friend you see now and then
One you thought would always be there
Wasn't nothin but a song for me to lean on
At least it showed me somebody cared
It was somethin I never thought I'd lose
So tell me, whatever happened to the blues
You can follow the tracks all the way back
To the Louisiana no-lane jive
And Ol' John R., they took it so far
Did somebody let a good thing die
Maybe there was nothin that they could do
Tell me, whatever happened to the blues
Don't you know the music was a part of me
I ain't talkin what you been doin on the MTV, Lord
Know that I've heard your street-wise words
They been jumpin up in my face
Wastin lots of time a whole lot of mine
Just puttin people in their place
You can pick on me if you really want to
But tell me, whatever happened to the blues
Somebody tell me, whatever happened to the blues
One you thought would always be there
Wasn't nothin but a song for me to lean on
At least it showed me somebody cared
It was somethin I never thought I'd lose
So tell me, whatever happened to the blues
You can follow the tracks all the way back
To the Louisiana no-lane jive
And Ol' John R., they took it so far
Did somebody let a good thing die
Maybe there was nothin that they could do
Tell me, whatever happened to the blues
Don't you know the music was a part of me
I ain't talkin what you been doin on the MTV, Lord
Know that I've heard your street-wise words
They been jumpin up in my face
Wastin lots of time a whole lot of mine
Just puttin people in their place
You can pick on me if you really want to
But tell me, whatever happened to the blues
Somebody tell me, whatever happened to the blues