This song is about an alcoholic who has taken to drinking Sterno – a fuel with a toxic mixture of ethanol and methanol, which when combined with liquids such as water was known as canned heat. The product is squeezed through a rag to extract the alcohol.
Tommy Johnson – Canned Heat Blues Lyrics
Crying, canned heat, canned heat, mama, crying, sure, Lord, killing me. Crying, canned heat, mama, sure, Lord killing me. Takes alcorub to take these canned heat blues.
Crying, mama, mama, mama, you know, canned heat killing me. Crying, mama, mama, mama, crying, canned heat is killing me. Canned heat don't kill me, crying, babe, I'll never die.
I woke up, this morning, crying, canned heat 'ourn my bed. Run here, somebody, take these canned heat blues. Run here, somebody, and take these canned heat blues.