BETTER OFF WITH THE BLUES
Words and music by Donald Fritts, Delbert McClinton & Gary Niholson
As recorded by Delbert McClinton on "One of the Fortunate Few" (1997)

Since you been gone, I've had time to myself.
Haven't even tried to find somebody else.
When you told me you were leavin', you know it almost came as good news.
It may sound funny but it's true: I think I'm better off with the blues.

Now I must admit that I miss you sometime.
Not a day goes by that you don't cross my mind.
But at the same time, I think of all the hell you put me through.
Yeah, it's the lesser of two evils; I think I'm better off with the blues.

I know someday I'll wake up and this blues will be gone.
I'll forget about you and how ev'rything went wrong.
But if you had 'a' stayed, I'd be dead in my tracks.
Now, I still love you, baby, but I don't want you back.

Tonight I'm gonna go down to the sad side o' town,
Listen to 'em play the blues when the sun goes down,
And I'll know just what to say when someone asks about you:
I'll say: "Yeah, we had our good times, but I think I'm better off with the blues."
Yeah, if I had to choose, I'd say I'm better off with the blues.


[Also recorded by Ronnie Milsap, Junior Wells, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and some others. There are some other songs with the same title.]