I've been down to parliament, i've been in school
   i've been in jail to learn the golden rule
   i've been to the workhouse -- served my time in those hallowed halls
   the only thing i know is the blues got the world by the balls
  
   i've been to the tundra and the mountain too
   i've been in paris doing what the frenchmen do
   i've been in boston where the buildings grow so tall
   everywhere you go the blues got the world by the balls
  
   you can catch 'em from the preacher or from the pool shark
   you can find 'em in the grammar of the socialite's remark
   or down in the washroom you can read it on the wall
   everywhere you look the blues got the world by the balls