Etta James - The Blues Is My Business

“The Blues Is My Business” is a powerful blues song recorded by legendary vocalist Etta James for her 2003 album “Let’s Roll.” Written by Kevin Bowe and Todd Cerney, the song was first released by Larry McCray in 2000 before James made it her own with her signature vocal style. The album “Let’s Roll” was Etta James’ twenty-sixth studio album and won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2003, along with a W.C. Handy Award as the Soul/Blues Album of the Year from the Blues Foundation in 2004. The track showcases James’ deep connection to the blues tradition, featuring gritty lyrics about trouble, heartbreak, and pain delivered with raw emotional intensity. With its memorable refrain declaring that “the blues is my business, and business is good,” the song became a testament to James’ lifelong dedication to the genre and her ability to transform personal suffering into powerful musical expression. The recording captures the essence of traditional blues while demonstrating why Etta James remained one of the most influential and authentic voices in American music well into the 21st century.

Etta James The Blues Is My Business Lyrics

I got a heart full of trouble, a house full of sin
And things are bad as they ever been
If trouble were money
I'd have more money than any man should

I'm open for business in your neighborhood
The blues is my business, and business is good

If I had a dollar for every broken heart
I'd be drinkin' fine wine and eatin' caviar
If trouble were money
I'd have more money than any man should

I'm open for business in your neighborhood
The blues is my business, and business is good

Well business, the business is good
The blues is my business, and business is good
The blues is my business, the blues is my business
I'm open for business in your neighborhood
The blues is my business, and business is good

It's a world full of trouble and a world full of pain
I'll take the problem, but I won't take no blame
If trouble were money
I'd have more money than any man should

I'm open for business in your neighborhood
The blues is my business, and business is good

The blues is my business, and business is good
The blues is my business, and business is good
The blues is my business, the blues is my business

I'm open for business in your neighborhood
The blues is my business, and business is good

The blues is my business, the blues is my business
The blues is my business, the blues is my business
And business is good
I'm open for business in your neighborhood
The blues is my business, and business is good
The blues is my business
The blues is my business and business is good