Pete Kelly's Blues
Bobby Darin Lyrics


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There are sad things
There are bad things, the blues
When they threaten
Start betting you'll lose

You hide yourself behind a prayer
The blues'll come and they'll find you there
I mean the blues, they call Pete Kelly's Blues

There's no exit
You can try the blues
If you're born with,
You will die with the blues
Think what you choose
That happy dream is yours they say
If you can pay the dues
That's why I'm stuck with,
Fresh outta luck with the blues

There's no exit
None you can try with the blues
See if you're born with,
You gotta die with the blues
Think what you choose
That happy dream is yours they say
If you can pay the dues
That's why I'm stuck with,
So outta luck wit the blues

Some call em Pete Kelly's Blues




You can em anything you choose
I call them blues

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Pete Kelly's Blues" by Bobby Darin convey a sense of helplessness and inevitability in the face of the blues. The blues, in this context, are a metaphor for the sorrows and difficulties of life that one cannot escape no matter how hard they try. The opening lines acknowledge that there are sad and bad things in the world, and once the blues begin to affect a person, they are likely to be defeated. The idea of "betting" against the blues is futile because they will inevitably win.


The second half of the lyrics suggest that no one can escape the blues because they are an inescapable part of life. The imagery of hiding behind a prayer suggests that even turning to religion cannot protect one from the blues. The final lines of the song suggest that one can choose to dream of happiness, but only if they are willing to pay the price. And for the singer, he feels "stuck" and "outta luck" with the blues.


In the final stanza, the song references "Pete Kelly's Blues" specifically. Pete Kelly was a jazz musician and bandleader who appeared in a film of the same name in 1955. The inclusion of Pete Kelly in the song may have been a nod to the important role that jazz music played in the African American community, especially during the era of segregation and discrimination.


Line by Line Meaning

There are sad things
There are times in life when we feel sadness


There are bad things, the blues
There are things that cause us to feel down like the blues


When they threaten
When we feel threatened by the blues


Start betting you'll lose
It's likely we'll fail when we're troubled by the blues


You hide yourself behind a prayer
Sometimes, we turn to prayer to conceal our pain


The blues'll come and they'll find you there
However, the blues will find us despite our prayers


I mean the blues, they call Pete Kelly's Blues
These feelings are commonly known as Pete Kelly's Blues


There's no exit
There's no escape


You can try the blues
We can try to resist the blues


If you're born with,
If you're naturally inclined to it


You will die with the blues
You'll likely struggle with the blues for your entire life


Think what you choose
Our thoughts determine how we feel about the blues


That happy dream is yours they say
We're told that we can achieve happiness if we work hard for it


If you can pay the dues
But success requires payment or sacrifice


That's why I'm stuck with,
That's why I'm burdened by


Fresh outta luck with the blues
With no luck to spare when it comes to the blues


None you can try with the blues
There's no way out when it comes to the blues


See if you're born with,
If you're naturally predisposed to it


You gotta die with the blues
You're likely to struggle with the blues for as long as you live


That happy dream is yours they say
We're told that we can achieve happiness if we work hard for it


If you can pay the dues
But success requires some degree of sacrifice or payment


That's why I'm stuck with,
That's why I'm overwhelmed by


So outta luck wit the blues
So devoid of luck when it comes to the blues


Some call em Pete Kelly's Blues
Some refer to these feelings as Pete Kelly's Blues


You can em anything you choose
We can give these feelings any name we like


I call them blues
But I simply call them the blues




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMMY CAHN, RAY HEINDORF

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Daniel


on Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home

One heck of a entertainer. A life cut way to soon. RIP Mr. Darin. Remember one thing he was one of the first Emmy winners, in the late 50s. When the emmys started.