Now I could have been a gambler   'Coz I'm good with the cards   I could have been a lover   Breakin' other's hearts      And I feel so silly   Bettin' on the dice   And a lover seldom sees   The same girl twice      And that is why   (That is why)   Oh that's why I chose   (That's why I chose)   I chose to sing the blues, yes, I did      Now, I could have been a doctor   Helping the sick   I could have been a lawyer   But you know that ain't my stick      'Coz I feel so bad   If a patient didn't do well   And I feel just as bad   To leave a client in jail      And that is why   (That is why)   Oh that's why I chose   (That's why I chose)   I chose to sing the blues      Now a man has a lot   That he could present   Just to think   I could have been president      But I can't understand   What politicians say   So I wanna talk to you   In my own little way      And that is why   (That is why)   Oh   (That's why I chose)   I chose to sing the blues      Yes I did, friends   Don't you know what I mean   I like what I'm doin'      You know, I like the blues   Everybody understands   What I mean when I say      Something like this here   Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout   When I sing, yes, I did