Photo taken from The Blues Brothers official Facebook page
Famous Blues Covers
"She Caught the Katy (And Left Me a Mule to Ride)" is a blues standard written by Taj Mahal and James Rachell. The song was first recorded for Taj Mahal's 1968 album The Natch'l Blues, and is one of Mahal's most famous tunes. It has since been covered many times, and is included on the soundtrack for the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers (the song plays over the opening credits, as Jake Blues leaves prison). According to John Belushi's widow, it was Belushi's favorite blues song.
The "Katy" refers to the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad.
She caught the Katy
And left me a mule to ride
She caught the Katy
And left me a mule to ride
Now my baby caught the Katy
Left me a mule to ride
The train pulled out
I swung on behind
Crazy 'bout her
That hard headed woman of mine
Man, my baby's long
Great gosh almighty my baby's tall
You know my baby's long
Great gosh almighty my baby's tall
Yeah my baby she's long
My baby she's tall
She's sleepin' with her head in the kitchen
And her feet's out in the hall
Crazy 'bout her
That hard headed woman of mine
Well I love my baby
She's so fine
But I wish she'd come and see me some time
She don't believe in our love, ah
Look whatta hole I'm in
She don't believe what I'm sayin'
Kid look whatta shape I'm in
Huh-huh
She caught the Katy
And left me a mule to ride
She caught the Katy
And left me a mule to ride
Well my baby caught the Katy
Left me a mule to ride
The train pulled out
I swung on behind
Crazy 'bout that hard headed woman
Hard headed woman of mine
Huh-huh, huh-huh