<Tr> <Th> Label </Th> <Td> Stax </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Songwriter (s) </Th> <Td> Booker T. Jones, William Bell </Td> </Tr> <P> "Born Under a Bad Sign" is a blues song recorded by American blues singer and guitarist Albert King in 1967 . Called "a timeless staple of the blues", the song also had strong crossover appeal to the rock audience with its bass and guitar harmony line and topical astrology reference . "Born Under a Bad Sign" became an R&B chart hit for King and numerous blues and other musicians have made it perhaps the most recorded Albert King song . </P> <P> The lyrics to "Born Under a Bad Sign" were written by Stax Records rhythm and blues singer William Bell with music by Stax bandleader Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. & the M.G.'s). Bell recalled, "We needed a blues song for Albert King...I had this idea in the back of my mind that I was gonna do myself . Astrology and all that stuff was pretty big then . I got this idea that (it) might work ." The lyrics describe "hard luck and trouble" tempered by "wine and women", with wordplay in the chorus in the turnaround: </P>

Who sang if it wasn't for bad luck