Album: Exile on Coldharbour Lane (1997)

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• Well, you woke up this morning
  Got yourself a gun
  Your mama always said you'd be the chosen one
  She said, "You're one in a million, you've got to burn to shine"
  But you were born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes
  
  And you woke up this morning
  All that love had gone
  Your papa never told you about right and wrong
  Hey but you're, you're looking good, baby
  I believe that you're feeling fine, shame about it
  Born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes, yeah
  
  Because you woke up this morning
  Got a blue moon in your eyes
  Woke up this morning
  You got a blue moon in your eyes
  
  Well, you woke up this morning
  The world turned upside down
  Lord above, thing's ain't been the same since Howlin' Wolf walked into your town
  But you're, but you're one in a million
  'Cause you've got that shotgun shine, boom
  Born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes, yeah
  
  You woke up this morning
  You got a blue moon in your eyes, yeah
  Woke up this morning
  You got a blue moon in your eyes, yeah
  
  When you woke up this morning everything was gone
  By half past ten your head was going ding-dong
  Ringing like a bell from your head down to your toes
  Like some voice tryna tell you there's something you should know
  Last night you were flying but today you're so low
  Ain't it times like these that make you wonder if you'll ever know
  The meaning of things as they appear to the others
  Wives, husbands, fathers, sisters and brothers
  Don't you wish you didn't function
  Wish you didn't think beyond the next paycheck
  And the next little drink?
  Well, you do, so make up your mind to go on
  'Cause when you woke up this morning
  Everything you had was gone
  Everything you had was long gone
  
  See I woke up this morning (woke up this morning)
  Yeah, woke up this morning (woke up this morning)
  You woke up this morning
  You wanna be, you wanna be the chosen one tonight
  Yes, you know it, because you, you just can't help yourself
  
  Woke up this morning (when you woke up this morning)
  Yeah, woke up this morning (when I woke up this morning)
  Woke up this morning
  And you did it, girl
  You got yourself a gun
  You got yourself a gun
  You got yourself a gun Writer/s: Chester Burnett, Jake Black, Piers Watson Marsh, Robert Spragg, Simon Edwards
  Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Sentric Music
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 24

• Sarah Walton from YorkshireThe lyrics should have had the line got myself a knife. Italien Americans always with the drama...
• Mike S from WashingtonDid Mick Jagger provide any uncredited, backing vocals on this track? Sure sounds like it
• Mike From Salem from Salem, KyWasn’t much into tv when the sopranos came out, but remember hearing the song. Actually The many saints of Newark brought me here. Recently purchased the complete series of The Sopranos on dvd, the discovered A3 and bought the cd, now it’s the first thing I hear every morning. Thanks Sopranos and A3
• Maksym from BostonSomeone was asking about the song version in which the singer was singing in the first first person. Anyway ,the name is "Woke up this morning -Detroit mix " (u can find in Spotify)
• Gabe from ChicagoInteresting that so many people leaving comments here are asking or speculating what the lyrics are but not bothering to look under the "lyrics" tab... Anyhow, I think it's funny that Although Coldharbour Lane is a street in South London, it sounds like it could be a street in North Caldwell, perhaps not far from Stag Trail Road...
• Ken from London, United KingdomThe original Woke Up This Morning appeared on Exile On Coldharbour Lane. After David Chase heard it they did a remix for The Sopranos theme and this version appears on the album La Peste. So, two versions on two different Alabama 3 albums.
• Willie from Scottsdale, AzColdharbour Lane is a street in Brixton, known for its drug dealing and drunks walking about. It was also the site of the Brixton Riots in the early 1980s. A "cold harbor" in older times was a thatched hut where travelers could stay the night, but had no services or staff.
• Karienna from Dallas, Txa "Blue moon" curse, is powerful curse in Italian witchcraft.
  To say someone is born under a bad sign
  ( Astrological Sign) with a blue moon in their eyes means that they were cursed at birth, and will never lead a good life.
• Doug from Brumley, MoIn re: 'Blue Moon' is used to describe the rare event of the second full moon in a calendar month. Thought you'd like to know.
• Easy from Prague, Czech RepublicI came across a version of this song that has the singer singing in first person...the lyrics go " I woke up this morning and got myself a gun"... which version is that ??
• Jck from Chicago, IlHere's the 1:45 or so of intro dialogue.
  "And after three days of drinkin' with Larry Love
  I just get an inklin' to go on home
  So, I'm walkin' down Coldharbour Lane
  Head hung low, three or four in the mornin'
  
  The suns comin' up and the birds are out singing
  I let myself into my pad
  Wind myself up that spiral staircase
  An' stretch out nice on the chesterfield
  
  Pithecanthropus Erectus already on the CD player
  And I just push that remote button to sublimity
  And listen to the sweet sculptural rhythms of Charles Mingus
  And J.R. Monterose and Jackie Mclean
  Duet on those saxophones
  
  And the sound makes it's way outta the window
  Minglin' with the traffic noises outside, you know and
  All of a sudden I'm overcome by a feelin' of brief mortality
  'Cause I'm gettin' on in the world
  Comin' up on forty-one years
  
  Forty-one stoney gray steps towards the grave
  You know the box, awaits it's grissly load
  Now, I'm gonna be food for worms
  And just like Charles Mingus wrote
  That beautiful piece-a music, 'Epitaph for Eric Dolphy'
  
  I say, so long Eric, so long, John Coltrane
  And Charles Mingus, so long, Duke Ellington
  And Lester Young, so long, Billie Holliday
  And Ella Fitzgerald, so long, Jimmy Reed
  So long, Muddy Waters, and so, long Howlin' Wolf"
• Matt from San Antonio, Tx"Blue Moon In Your Eyes" is an astrological reference, like the line before it "Born Under a Bad Sign". If you've ever heard the phrase "once in a blue moon", it means very, very seldom, something that almost never happens.
• Elizabeth from Maspeth, NyDoes anybody know what "blue moon in your eyes" means? Thank you.
• Tj from Champaign, IlThe above is untrue. Alabama 3 was always A3 in America, where "Ain't Goin' to Goa" received attention long before "Woke Up This Morning."
• Nick from Arlington Heights, IlIn response to an eariler comment on this..the version that has a 2 minute intro of dialogue is the version that is on the "Exile on Coldharbour Lane" and not the Sopranos soundtrack...the Sopranos version of this song is a shortened version and came out 2 years after the release of the album it originally appeared on
• Dan from Harrisburg, PaAnother version of lyrics to Sopranos theme song:
  
  The Sopranos Soundtrack 1999
  Woke Up This Morning (Chose One Mix) 4:04
  
  Gonna take it down, deep down, with a friend..
  You woke up this morning got yourself a gun; Mama always said you'd be The Chosen One.
  She said: you're one in a million and you?ve got to burn to shine,
  But you were born under a bad sign, with a blue moon in your eyes.
  
  When ya woke up this morning all that love had gone,
  Your Papa never told you about right and wrong.
  Buttcha buttcha looking good, baby, I believe that ya feeling fine, shame about it,
  Born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes.
  
  So sing it now, woke up this morning, ya got a blue moon , got a blue moon in your eyes.
  So sad, God*amn, it?s a godd*mn shame about it
  Woke up this morning, ya got a blue moon, got a blue moon in your eyes.
  Woke up this morning, sing it
  
  Woke up this morning the world turned upside down,
  Lord above us, things ain't been the same since the blues walked into town.
  Buttcha buttcha one in a million cause you got dat shotgun shine.
  Shame about it, born under a bad sign, with a blue moon in your eyes. Yea.
  
  Yea, woke up this morning, ya got a blue moon, got a blue moon in your eyes.
  So sad, God-d*mn, a God-d*mn shame about it
  Woke up this morning, ya got a blue moon, got a blue moon in n your eyes. Yea
  
  Yea I hear ya, you just can?t help you rself. Just can?t help your self.
  Lord I been bad, makes the daylight sad,
  
  Bring it, woke up this morning everything was gone.
  Bout a half past ten your head was going ding-dong.
  Ringing like a bell from your head down to your toes,
  Like ya papa?s voice telling you that there?s something you should know.
  
  Last night you were flying but today you're so low ?
  Ain't it times like these that makes ya wonder if you'll ever know
  The meaning of things as they appear to the others;
  Wives, mothers, fathers, mother?s father?s sisters and your brothers.
  Don?t ya wish you didn't function,
  Wish you didn't think beyond the next paycheck and the next little drink'
  Well you do so make up your mind to go on, '
  Cause when you woke up this morning everything you had was gone.
  
  Woke up this morning, Woke up this morning, Woke up this morning,
  Ya wanna be, ya wanna be the chosen one.
  Yea you know it you just can?t help yourself,
  Woke up this morning, woke up this morning, woke up this morning,
  N got yourself a gun, and you got yourself a gun, got yourself a gun
  
• Di from Sacramento, CaDid they change the song from the first years to this year? Woke up this morning seems to be sung by someone different this season and it sounds like a different mix to the song.
  
  Has anyone else noticed this? Thanks
• Kupotek from Cleveland, Ohblue moon
  
  You woke up this morning
  Got yourself a gun,
  Mama always said you'd be
  The Chosen One.
  
  She said: You're one in a million
  You've got to burn to shine,
  But you were born under a bad sign,
  With a blue moon in your eyes.
  
  You woke up this morning
  All the love has gone,
  Your Papa never told you
  About right and wrong.
  
  But you're looking good, baby,
  I believe you're feeling fine, (shame about it),
  Born under a bad sign
  With a blue moon in your eyes.
  
  You woke up this morning
  The world turned upside down,
  Thing's ain't been the same
  Since the Blues walked into town.
  
  But you're one in a million
  You've got that shotgun shine.
  Born under a bad sign,
  With a blue moon in your eyes.
  
  When you woke up this morning everything you had was
  gone. By half past ten your head was going ding-dong.
  Ringing like a bell from your head down to your toes,
  like a voice telling you there was something you should
  know. Last night you were flying but today you're so low
  - ain't it times like these that make you wonder if
  you'll ever know the meaning of things as they appear to
  the others; wives, mothers, fathers, sisters and
  brothers. Don't you wish you didn't function, wish you
  didn't think beyond the next paycheck and the next little
  drink' Well you do so make up your mind to go on, 'cos
  when you woke up this morning everything you had was gone.
  
  When you woke up this morning,
  When you woke up this morning,
  When you woke up this morning,
  Mama said you'd be the Chosen One.
  
  When you woke up this morning,
  When you woke up this morning,
  When you woke up this morning,
  You got yourself a gun.
• Tommy from Lake Bluff, IlA3 has been in a movie too, Gone In Sixt Seconds, the song Too Sick to Pray, very good song
• Tommy from Lake Bluff, Ilok that 1:45 version is the real beginning to the song and yes it is blue moon in your eyes
• Nick from Erwin, NcAn interpretation of this song was later included in the song "Got Urself a Gun" by Nas.
• David from Penacook, Nhblue moon in your eyes
• Tim from Milestone, CanadaI have a version that has a 1:45 is the lead singer just talking, I was wondering if that was part of the song or did I just get a wierd version?
• Tony from Hobart, AustraliaHi
  
  Does anyone know the lyrics to 'Woke up this morning' (Sopranos theme song by A3) and in particular just what it is that is in your eye? (boombone???)
  
  TonyA

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