There's trouble on the street tonight
I can feel it in my bones
I had a premonition
That he should not go alone
I knew the gun was loaded

But I didn't think he'd kill
Ev'rything exploded and the
Blood began to spill
So baby here's your ticket
Put the suitcase in your hand
Here's a little money now
Do it just the way we planned
You be cool for twenty hours
And I'll pay you twenty grand
I'm sorry it went down like this
Someone had to lose
It's the nature of the bus'ness
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues

The sailors and the pilots
The soldiers and the law
The payoffs and the ripoffs
And the things nobody saw
No matter if it's heroin, cocaine or hash
You've got to carry weapons
Cause you always carry cash
Thre's lots of shady characters
Lots of dirty deals
Ev'ry name's an alias
In case somebody squeals
It's the lure of easy money
It's gotta very strong appeal
Perhaps you'd understand it better
Standin in my shoes
It's the ultimate enticement
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues

See it in the headlines
You hear it ev'ry day
They say they're gonna stop it
But it doesn't go away
They move it through Miami
Sell it in L.A.
They hide it up in Telluride
I mean it's here to stay
It's propping up the governments
Of Columbia and Peru
You ask any D.E.A. man
He'll say there's nothin we can do
From the office of the President
Right down to me and you
Me and you
It's a losing proposition
But one you can't refuse
It's the politics of contraband
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues