Chorus:
            E
Well if you ain’t got nothin’, you ain’t got nothin’ to lose
                                                  B
There ain’t no pleasure in singin’ these low down blues
E                                              A
Smokin’ that get down and bummin’ them Red Man chews
       E                      B                    E
If you ain’t got nothin’, you ain’t got nothin’ to lose


Daddy was a freeloader workin’ for the railroad line
I grew up listenin’ to “Brother, can you spare me a dime”
The oil situation and the world’s inflation and the bomb would be bad news
But when you ain’t got nothin’, you ain’t got nothin’ to lose

Chorus

I used to work my fingers to the bone
I had everything that me and the bank could own
But a sweaty blue collar and a deflated dollar ain’t no way to pay your dues
But if  you ain’t got nothin’, you ain’t got nothin’ to lose