St. James Infirmary Blues (Irving Mills cover)
original by: Irving Mills
original by: Irving Mills
from The Speakeasy Serenaders: Songs Of The People (2013 April 30) (5:19)
It was down at Old Joe's barroom on the corner by the square
The usual crowd was assembled and Big Joe McKinney was there
He was standin at my shoulder and his eyes they were bloodshot red
And he turned to the gang around him and these were the words he said
I went down to the St. James Infirmary, I saw my baby there
She was stretched out on a long white table, so cold, so sweet, so fair
Let her go let her go, God bless her wherever she may be
She could look this wide world over, she never find a sweet man like me
When I die bury me in straight lace shoes, I want a foxback coat and a Stetson hat
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain yeah so the boys'll know I died standin pat
I want six crapshooters for pallbearers, chorus gonna sing me a song
Put a jazz band on my ol hearse wagon, whoo raise hell as I roll along
Roll out your rubber tire carriage, roll out your old time hack
Twelve men goin to that graveyard yes and eleven comin back
Well now that you've heard my story I'll take another shot of booze
If anyone happens to ask you, I got those damn ramblin blues
The usual crowd was assembled and Big Joe McKinney was there
He was standin at my shoulder and his eyes they were bloodshot red
And he turned to the gang around him and these were the words he said
I went down to the St. James Infirmary, I saw my baby there
She was stretched out on a long white table, so cold, so sweet, so fair
Let her go let her go, God bless her wherever she may be
She could look this wide world over, she never find a sweet man like me
When I die bury me in straight lace shoes, I want a foxback coat and a Stetson hat
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain yeah so the boys'll know I died standin pat
I want six crapshooters for pallbearers, chorus gonna sing me a song
Put a jazz band on my ol hearse wagon, whoo raise hell as I roll along
Roll out your rubber tire carriage, roll out your old time hack
Twelve men goin to that graveyard yes and eleven comin back
Well now that you've heard my story I'll take another shot of booze
If anyone happens to ask you, I got those damn ramblin blues
earliest live performance: 2012 August 11