Recorded Live - Ruth Israel & Patrick McAllister
Bogdan Migurski (Bass)
Jack Herndon (Harmonica)
Jerry Neeman (Trumpet)
Amanda White (Drums)
Pete Young (Soundman)
Original song
The lyrics to "Born Under a Bad Sign" were written by Stax Records rhythm and blues singer William Bell with music by Stax bandleader Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. & the M.G.'s).
Bell recalled, "We needed a blues song for Albert King ... I had this idea in the back of my mind that I was gonna do myself. Astrology and all that stuff was pretty big then. I got this idea that it might work."
The lyrics describe "hard luck and trouble" tempered by "wine and women", with wordplay in the chorus in the turnaround:
Born under a bad sign, been down since I began to crawl
If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all
Similar lyrics are found in Lightnin' Slim's 1954 swamp blues song "Bad Luck Blues":
Lord, if it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all (2×)
You know bad luck has been followin' poor Lightnin', ever since I began to crawl
