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