St. James Infirmary Blues
Traditional
Audio recording of S:t James Infirmary:
Lazy John – Song & Mandolin
Steve Howard – Acoustic Guitar
Arne Nilsson – Bass
Mac Djerf – Harmonica
key: Bb Capo 2
Intro:Instrumental Verse
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[Am]It was down in [E7]old Joe’s [Am]Barroom,
On the corner [Dm]by the [Am]square, [E7]
[Am]They were [E7]serving drinks as [Am]usual,
And [F7]the usual [E7]crowd was [Am]there
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On my left stood Big Joe McKennedy
And his eyes were bloodshot red
And he looked at the crowd around him
These were the very words he said:
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I was down to St. James Infirmary
I saw my baby there
She was stretched out on a long white table
So pale, so cool and so fair
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Instrumental verse
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Seventeen coal-black horses
Hitched to a rubber-tied hack
Seven girls goin’ to the graveyard
Only six of them are comin’ back
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Let her go, let her go, God bless her
Where ever she may be
She may search this whole world over
Never find another man like me
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When I die, just bury me
In my high-top Stetson hat
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
To let the Lord know I died standing pat
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Instrumental verse
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I want six crap shooters for pall bearers
A chorus girl to sing me a song
Put a jazz band on my hearse wagon
To raise hell as we roll along
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And now that you’ve heard me story
I’ll have another shot of booze
And if anyone here should to ask you
I’ve got the gamblers blues
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Instrumental verse