Jury Box Blues

There was a period where it seemed I got summoned for jury duty every few months. It was pointless. I always got preemted off. Just can't understand why. This began to emerge as I waited in the Jury room at the Alameda County courthouse in March 2004.

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I woke up last Thursday at the break of day.

Didn’t get no breakfast, I had to be on my way

Down to the courthouse to jump in the pool.

They needed another jury to try another fool.

And I had the blues, the Jury Box blues.

They had a jury to chose, somebody had to lose,

And I had the Jury Box blues.

I checked in through security with minutes to spare,

Picked up my badge and found an uncomfortable chair

We all waited ‘round for an awful long while

But then the clerk called the roll and assigned us a trial.

And we had …

The Judge swore us in and gave us a questionnaire.

It asked for lots of information like “What color’s your hair?”

“Do you beat your children?” “Where do you keep your gun?”

“Please tell us about all those evil things you’ve done.”

And I had …

They said to call back Monday to see if I had to return.

They told me about the fifteen dollars I might earn.

But when I called in I found I'd been excused

By both the District Attorney and the attorney for the accused.

Now they had …

I’d answered all their questions the best that I could

But when I turned in my forms I knew I finally understood

That when you’re on a jury, the one thing that is true

Is that while you’re tryin’ the case, the case is tryin’ you

And you have the blues, the Jury Box blues.

They had a jury to chose, somebody had to lose,

And they’ve got the Jury Box blues.