Classic blues song.

» highest in charts:   # 421   (37,679 songs currently listed in Blues)
» highest in sub-genre:   # 173   (16,015 songs currently listed in Blues > Blues General)

It was down in old Joe's bar room, on he corner by the square.
They were serving the dirnks as usual, and the usual crowd was there.

One my left stood old Joe McKennedy, and his eyes they were bloodshot red.
As he gazed at the crowd around him, these are the words he said:

I went down to the St . James Infirmary, to see my baby there. She was stretched out on a long white table, so cool, so cold, so fair.

Let her go, let her go, God love her.
Wherever she may be.
She can search this whole world over, she'll never find a better man than me.

When I die, when I die, please bury me
With this guitar and my Stetson hat.
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain, so my friends will know I died standing pat.

I want six crap shooters for pall bearers.
I want a chorus girl to sing all my songs.
Put a blues band on my hearse wagon, so we can raise Hell as we roll along.

Let her go, let her go, God love her.
Wherever she may be.
She can search this whole wide world over, she'll never find a man like me.

And now that you've heard my story,
I'm gonna have one more shot of booze.
And if anyone should ask you
You tell 'em ...
I've got those .... gambler's ... blues.