Black and Blue Lyrics

Cold empty bed, springs hard as lead
Feel like Old Ned, wish I was dead
All my life through, I’ve been so black and blue

Even the mouse ran from my house
They laugh at you, and scorn you too
What did I do to be so black and blue?

I'm white - inside - but that don't help my case
'Cause I can't hide what is in my face

How would it end? Ain't got a friend
My only sin is in my skin
What did I do to be so black and blue?

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

“Black and Blue” is a 1929 jazz standard composed by Fats Waller with lyrics by Harry Brooks and also by Andy Razaf. It was introduced in the Broadway musical Hot Chocolates by Edith Wilson.

Louis later performed and recorded the song several times. His rendition of it is distinct from that of Edith Wilson due to his cuts of a lot of the context of the song.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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