Woke Up This Morning

And after three days of drinkin' with Larry Love, I just get an inklin' to go on home

So, I'm walkin' down Coldharbour Lane, head hung low, three or four in the mornin'. The sun's comin' up and the birds are out singing. I let myself into my pad. Wend myself up that spiral staircase and stretch out nice on the Chesterfield

Pithecanthropus Erectus already on the CD player and I just push that remote button to sublimity. And listen to the sweet sculptural rhythms of Charles Mingus. And J.R. Monterose and Jackie McLean duet on those saxophones and, the sound makes its way out the window minglin' with the traffic noises outside you know, and all of a sudden I'm overcome by a feelin' of brief mortality

Cause I'm gettin' on in the world, comin' up on forty-one years. Forty-one stony gray steps towards the grave, you know, the box awaits its grisly load. Now I'm gonna be food for worms

And just like Charles Mingus wrote that beautiful piece of music 'Epitaph' for Eric Dolphy, I say, so long Eric. So long John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. So long Duke Ellington and Lester Young. So long Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. So long Jimmy Reed. So long Muddy Waters, and so long Howlin' Wolf

(Woke up this mornin')

Woke up this mornin'

Got yourself a gun

Your mama always said you'd be the Chosen One

She said, "You're one in a million

You got to burn to shine"

But you were born under a bad sign

With a blue moon in your eyes

And you woke up this mornin'

And all that love had gone

Your Papa never told you about right and wrong

Hey but you're, but you're looking good, baby

I believe that you're a-feelin' fine

Shame about it

Born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes

So sing it now

Woke up this mornin'

Woke up this mornin'

I see ya, ya woke up this mornin'

The world turned upside down

Lord above, things ain't been the same

Since the blues walked into town

Hey but you're, but you're, one in a million

Cause you got that shotgun shine

Shame about it

Born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes

So sing it now

Woke up this mornin'

You got a blue moon

Got a blue moon in your eyes

So sad

Goddamn

A god-damned shame about it

Woke up this mornin'

You got a blue moon

Got a blue moon in your eyes, yeah

Mister D. Wayne Love

When you woke up this morning everything was gone

By half past ten your head was going ding-dong

Ringin' like a bell from your head down to your toes

Like some voice tryin'a tell ya there's somethin' you should know

Last night you was flyin' but today you're so low

Ain't it times like these makes you wonder if you'll ever know

The meaning of things as they appear to the others

Wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers

Don't you wish you didn't function, don't you wish you didn't think

Beyond the next pay check and the next little drink?

Well you do so make up your mind to go on

Cause when you woke up this mornin', everything you had was gone

Woke up this mornin'

When ya woke up this mornin'

Woke up this mornin'

Ya woke up this mornin'

Woke up this mornin'

You wanna be, you wanna be the Chosen One

Yeah you know it cause, you just can't help yourself, yeah

Woke up this mornin'

When ya, woke up this mornin'

Woke up this mornin'

Woke up this mornin'

Woke up this mornin'

Got yourself a gun

Got yourself a gun

Got yourself a gun