Last Two Dollars
Johnnie Taylor Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴A lady at the casino
She lost all of her money
She said don't feel sorry for me no
Don't feel sorry honey

But if you want to do a lady a favor
Here's what I want you to do
Just loan me two dollars

Until the next time I see you

But these last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
These last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
One's going for my bus fare
Other one for the jukebox
To hear me some blues
To hear me some blues

She said I wouldn't be over here
If my man had been treating me right
I came here to try to catch him, yeah
'Cause he's been sneaking around every night

But I got caught up over here
Got caught up in this scene
And put all of my money
In that doggone gambling machine

But these last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
These last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
One's going for my bus fare
Other one for the jukebox
I got to hear me damn some blues oh lord

Last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose

Last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
Bus fare, jukebox hear some blues

Lady at the casino
Lost all of her money yeah
She said don't feel sorry
Don't feel sorry honey

If you want to do a lady a favor
Here's what I want you to do
Just loan me two dollars
Until the next time I see you

But these last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
These last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
One's for my bus fare
Other one for the jukebox
To hear me some blues, oh yea

These last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
These last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
I've learned my lesson and now baby
I wanna hear some blues
Alright now

These last two dollars, naw
I'm not gonna lose
These last two dollars
I sho' ain't gone lose
Got one for my bus fare
Other one for the jukebox
I gotta hear me some blues
Yea yea I think I said that again

These last two dollars
I'm not gonna lose
These last two dollars
I sho' ain't gonna lose
One goes for the bus fare

Other one for the jukebox
I gotta hear me some down home blues


Overall Meaning

The song "Last Two Dollars" by Johnnie Taylor tells the story of a woman who gambles away all of her money at a casino. She asks a man to lend her two dollars until the next time she sees him, which he does. She then explains that she is going to use the last two dollars to pay for her bus fare and to listen to some blues on the jukebox. The woman admits that she came to the casino to try and catch her cheating man, but ended up losing all of her money instead.


The lyrics paint a picture of someone who has hit rock bottom but is determined not to lose the last bit of money they have left. The woman's request for two dollars might seem insignificant, but it represents a last effort to hold onto some hope and dignity. The lyrics also touch on themes of heartbreak, love, and addiction.


Line by Line Meaning

A lady at the casino
There's a woman at the casino


She lost all of her money
She no longer has any money after gambling it all away


She said don't feel sorry for me no
She doesn't want anyone to pity her


Don't feel sorry honey
She's speaking to someone she knows, possibly a friend or lover


But if you want to do a lady a favor
She's asking for a favor


Here's what I want you to do
She's about to state her request


Just loan me two dollars
She's asking for a small loan of two dollars


Until the next time I see you
She promises to repay the loan when she sees the person again


But these last two dollars
The two dollars she has left


I'm not gonna lose
She's determined not to gamble it away


One's going for my bus fare
She needs one dollar for transportation


Other one for the jukebox
The other dollar is for the jukebox


To hear me some blues
She wants to listen to blues music


She said I wouldn't be over here
She explains why she's at the casino


If my man had been treating me right
She would not be at the casino if her partner treated her well


I came here to try to catch him, yeah
She's hoping to catch her unfaithful partner at the casino


'Cause he's been sneaking around every night
Her partner has been suspiciously out at night


But I got caught up over here
She became engrossed in gambling


Got caught up in this scene
She became involved with the gambling culture


And put all of my money
She spent all of her money


In that doggone gambling machine
She gambled it all away on a machine


I've learned my lesson and now baby
She's acknowledging that she made a mistake


I wanna hear some blues
She wants to listen to blues music after her loss


Alright now
An expression of affirmation or enthusiasm


I sho' ain't gone lose
She is confident in not losing her last two dollars


I gotta hear me some down home blues
She wants to listen to some authentic blues music


Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GEORGE HENRY JACKSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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