When I was a young boy
My daddy sat me down
He said, "Son, don't you never go
To the dark side of town"
I'm talkin' downtown Memphis
See that's where the black folk play
And I said, "Yes, sir, daddy"
And then I snuck down anyway
See, never was taught to read none
And, no, never taught to write
The only thing my daddy taught
Was a white should stay with white
But I heard it through the alleys
It floated on the breeze
And burst out through the doorways
And it knocked me to my knees
It broke down all my senses
Yet made me feel so whole
See I was lost until I found
The music of my soul
The music of my soul
Then one day my Daddy died
And we laid him in his grave
And my mamma, she cried and cried and cried
And prayed that he'd be saved
But all I felt was pity
For he never understood
How could people be so bad
That made me feel so good?
It whipped right through my body
It grabbed me by my heart
It shot up from my fingertips
And tore me right apart
It broke down all my senses
Yet made me feel so whole
And I will love it till the day I die
The music of my soul
It broke down all my senses
Yet made me feel so whole
See I was lost until I found
I was deaf until I heard
The music of my soul
I'll make this world come around to
The music of my soul
The music of my soul
