I'd like to disagree with you that crime don't pay But you make a lot of enemies along the way The alchemy you need to find the perfect lick The sleight of hand until you find the three chord trick He made a lot of money and he made a lot of foes I guess he liked the smell of it just following his nose And once you find the formula you can't go wrong If you've played the blues, you knew it all along Play the three chord trick and you've got yourself a song He can juggle with the best of them and that's a fact He can conjure an illusion from a loaded pack He'll try to take the credit for it, that won't stick It's just another version of the three chord trick He's holding all the cards and you can take your choice Don't look him in the eyes, don't listen to the voice If you focus on the hands you can't go wrong If you paid your dues you knew it all along Play the three chord trick and you've got yourself a song They call it double dealing and the art is in the hand Many years of practice and your wish is my command If you believe in magic, let the mystery unfold And it seems that sand turns into gold If you've played the blues, you knew it all along Play the three chord trick and you've got yourself a song