James Alley Blues Songtext
von David Johansen and the Harry Smiths

Times ain′t now nothin' like they used to be
Oh, times ain′t now nothin' like they used to be
And I'm tellin′ you all the truth
Oh, take it for me

I′ve done seen better days but I hate puttin' up with these
I′ve done seen better days but I'm puttin′ up with these
I had a much better time with these girls
Now I'm so hard to please

′Cause I was born in the country, she thinks I'm easy to know
'Cause I was born in the country, she thinks I′m easy to know
She tried to hitch me to a wagon
Wanna drive me like a mule

You know I bought the groceries and I paid the rent
Yeah, I bought the groceries and I paid the rent
She tried to make me wash her clothes
But I got good common sense


I said, if you don′t want me
Why don't you tell me so?
You know if you don′t want me
Why don't you tell me so?
I′ll go to hell like a man that ain't got nowhere to go

I′ve been giving you the sugar for sugar
But you get salt for salt
I give you sugar for sugar but you get salt for salt
And if you can't get along with me, it's your own fault

How do you want me to love you
When you treat me mean?
How do you want me to love you
You keep on treating me mean?
You′re my very last thought in my nightly dream

Sometimes I think that you′re too sweet to die
Sometimes I think that you're too sweet to die
And in other time I think
You ought to be buried alive