"Hues of Blue" drops on June 21st! For more information about my 14th studio album, see:

Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out

The ninth song (track #9) on the album "Hues of Blue".

An 8-bar traditional blues ragtime standard arranged by Scott Cooley with trumpet that is a cautionary tale about the fickle nature of fortune and its attendant relationships.

Lyrics

"Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out"

Traditional, Arranged by Scott Cooley. Additional / Revised Lyrics by Scott Cooley. Sound Recording Copyright ℗ 2026 by Scott Richard Cooley on Scott Cooley Records. All rights reserved.
I used to live just like a millionaireBlowin' my stash of cash without a careTaking my friends out to party every nightDrinkin' the finest champagne that money could buy
But just as soon as I got low on doughI couldn’t find a friend, and I had no place to goNow I’m flat broke, but when I get a dollar againI swear I won’t spend it ‘till I see that eagle grin, because
Nobody knows you When you’re down and outWhen your pockets are empty, not even one pennyYou thought you had friends, but that’s when you don’t have any
If I ever get back on my feet againStrangers will claim to be my long-lost friendsIt’s a strange situation, without a doubtNobody knows you, when you’re down and out
If I’d only listened to what my mother saidBack in the days when I made all that breadI never would have trusted one single soulKept every lousy dime under better control
When you’re young, you think you know it allAnd you’ve got no clue someday you’re bound to fallIt’s a sad state of affairs, let there be no doubtNobody knows you when you’re down and out
Nobody knows you When you’re down and outThe only time you hear a knock on the doorIs when the rent’s past due, and it’s your landlord
When I get myself back up, and I’m on my feet againPlenty of people pretendin’ to be my penniless friendsWhen you’ve sunken this low, you learn there ain’t no doubt, thatNobody wants you, nobody needs youNobody knows you, when you’re down and out

Personnel - Scott Cooley:

lead & backing vocals
acoustic guitar
acoustic bass guitar
rhythm & lead trumpet
drums

This was written by Jimmie Cox in 1923. Originally associated with both the ragtime and Vaudeville styles, it is now considered a blues standard. It has been recorded by many other artists such as Blind Bobby Baker, the Aunt Jemima Novelty Four, Pinetop Smith, Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, and Derek and the Dominos. You could say this is a traditional song, arranged by me. Not my first Trad. Arr. By, but the first in many years. Since it is now in the public domain, I took the liberty of revising some of the lyrics to my liking.

For more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobody_Knows_You_When_You're_Down_and_Out.

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