Sometimes
I'd rather be a lamppost in Harlem
Than own a mountaintop in Tennessee.
Yes, I'd rather be a lamppost in Harlem
Than own a mountaintop in Tennessee.
Lord knows I miss my mother,
But Harlem's made a man of me.
Sometimes
I'd rather be a cottom patch in Georgia
Than have a brownstone on Lenox Avenue.
My Lord, I rather be a cotton patch in Georgia
Than have a brownstone on Lenox Avenue.
You'll know just how I'm feeling
If Harlem gets a-hold of you.
Source: "Crazy Blues" by Raymond Patterson, blues-inspired poet (used with permission, from his collection, Elemental Blues)