They heard the breeze in the trees making weird melodies
And they made that the start of the blues
And from a jail came the wail of a downhearted frail
And they played that as part of the blues
From a whippoorwill out on a hill they took a new note
Pushed it through a horn till it was worn into a blue note
And then they nursed it rehearsed it and gave out the news
That the southland gave birth of the blues that the southland gave birth of the blues