Put up or Shut Up - Roosevelt Sykes

Put up or shut up

Stay in a broke man’s place, my my

Yes, I said put up or shut up

An stay in a broke man’s place

Well, ev’rytime you open yo mouth, man

It’s a disgrace to the human race

Now, you runnin' round here, braggin'

Talkin' bout yo' wealth

But if you don’t take it easy

I’m gonna put you in bad health

Now, put up or shut up

An stay in a broke man’s place

Man, ev’rytime you open yo mouth

It’s a disgrace to the human race

'Whoa, but it is'

'Oh, yeah'

'Mercy, nothin' but the blues, man'

(piano)

'Oh, yeah'

'Whoa yeah'

You talk so much make people know you ain’t go no money'

'People got money, don’t do no lotta talkin, do they'

'Unless they givin'

Now, you had an easy life

And yo mama got you spoiled

But my road been rough and rocky

It makes me hard boiled

So put up or shut up

Stay in a broke man’s place

Ev’rytime you open yo mouth

Disgrace to the human race

Now, you walk into a joint

Sometime at nine

You ask the musician to play a lot of numbers

And you won’t give up a dime

Put up or shut up

Stay in a broke man’s place

Whoa, ev’rytime you open yo mouth

It’a a disgrace to the human race

(And then we could use yo space, too)

Put Up or Shut Up — 2:45 (Trk 6)

Roosevelt Sykes — piano & vocal

Recorded: December 30, 1971

Producer: G.H.

Buck Jr.

Jazz City Studios, New Orleans, LA