Hey, I got me three companions, come a’ visitin’ every night
They creep in my sweet slumber, in the wolf hour ‘fore the light
Well ya’ tell me: Girl you’re lucky. Men all crowdin’ around you
One look in these tired, bloodshot eyes and you know that ain’t the truth
Shoulda, Whydidja, and Oughtto
Their names are Shoulda, Whydidja, and Oughtto Hmmmm mmmm
Now Shoulda’s finger waggles in a most judgmental way
Whydidja looks like my daddy, on one of his better days
Well Oughtto, he’s a slick one, with his double-breasted suits
Tippin’ his hat as he struts in my mind dear Lord, they’re all in cahoots!
Shoulda, Whydidja, and Oughtto
Their names are Shoulda, Whydidja, and Oughtto Hmmmm
Goin’a take me to the water come the dawn’s early light
Gotta cleanse my weary body from the demons of the night
I’m a cryin’, cryin’ Uncle! This ol’ funk I’m in is deep
Gotta run my one, two, three fellas right outta my mind
So I can sleep!
Shoulda, Whydidja, and Oughtto Hmmmm
I said No more Shoulda, Whydidja, and Oughtto Hmmmm
[Hey you boys are gone]
Song Origins:
This song is such fun to sing! My husband, John, woke up early one morning to a full-voiced rendition belting from my studio. I was singing the blues! Awake since 3AM, I had tried all the usual approaches to going back to sleep. Beginning a story didn’t work; focusing on the breath was a waste of time; even my desperate prayers did nothing. Suddenly, I thought: “My mind is relentless with these voices. It’s like they are actual people up there. Men, in fact. Going on and on about what I should have done, why I did what I did, and what still needs to be done”. And so I gave them names: Shoulda, Whydidja and Oughtto – and then, smiling, I got up and wrote the song.
Jen’s Favorite Line:
Tippin’ his hat as he struts in my mind, dear Lord, they’re all in cahoots!