Lyr Req: St. James Infirmary

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: St. James Infirmary
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Apr 22 - 01:05 AM

I stumbled upon a 10-year-old post on YouTube of Hugh Laurie performing St. James Infirmary; I didn't catch the words to post here, but the sentiment and point of view is most like the version posted by Jeff B in 2004.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: St. James Infirmary
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 20 - 11:07 AM

What about the Hamish Imlach version ("You big galoot you, you're sitting on my oxygen tube".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: St. James Infirmary
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 12:21 PM

My dad sang:

Roll out that rubber tyred carriage,
Roll out that old tattered hack,
'Cause there's twelve men goin' to the graveyard
And eleven comin' back.

I always though that he credited Jack Teagarden as his source.

Manitoba Hal sings:

Put a gang of ukuleles on my hearse wagon
To raise hell as we roll along.

I like to follow this song with Didn't He Ramble.
I always imagine it taking place in New Orleans.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: St. James Infirmary
From: GUEST,MarkS (0n the road)
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 08:15 PM

I always included:

Bring out your old hearse wagon
Bring out your rubber tired hack
Cause there's twelve men goin' to the graveyard
But just eleven men comin' back.

Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: St. James Infirmary
From: GUEST,SarahinNewcastle
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 01:42 PM

this is a version I know..its a mixture of a couple, I only changed one word myself conciously (- dollar to pound)

I went down to old Jo's bar room
on the corner by the square
the drinks they all flowed as usual
and the usual crowd were there

To my left stood old Jo McKinley
His eyes were blood shot red
Old Jo is an old time gambler
And these are the words he said

I went down to St James Infirmary
I found my baby there
Stretched out on a cold white table
So sweet, so cold, so fair

Let her go let her go God bless her
Lord wherever she might be
She can search this wide world over
But shell never find a sweet man like me

When I die I want engraved on my gravestone
In letters both large and black
here lies one gambling rambler
And Lord knows he's never coming back

I want sixteen bootleggers as pall bearers
and sixteen girls to sing me a song
I want a jazz band on my coffin
playing the blues as we roll along

Dress me up in my fine velvet jacket
My best shoes and a big top hat
I want a twenty pound note for my neck tie
so my friends know I died living fast

I want twelve, twelve snowy white horses
dressed up in feathers so fine
there's twelve of us going to the graveyard
but eleven of us coming back

Let her go let her go God bless her
Lord where'er she may be
She can walk this wide world over
But she'll never find a sweet man like me

Subject: Lyr Add: ST JAMES INFIRMARY (from Doc Watson)
From: GUEST,Jeff B.
Date: 07 Dec 04 - 06:08 PM

I got this version from the Doc and Merle Watson compilation (and commemorative) album "Remembering Merle", and I believe the lyrics are more or less exactly the same ones Doc has sung on every other recording of this tune I've heard over the years:

I went down to that St James Infirmary
Heard my baby groan
Nobody there could cheer me
Cause I'd know'd that she'd soon be gone

And as I stood there 'a grievin'
My heart felt just like lead
'A knowin' that she'd soon be leavin'
And wishing that it was me instead

Then I went out to old Joe's bar room
All the boys were there
Nobody understood my troubles
Cause nobody seemed to care

Then I went back to the St. James Infirmary
All was still as night
There was my baby on a long white table
She was pale and cold and white

I put my hand on her pretty face
Felt cold like marble stone
And I know'd that no woman could ever take her place
Lord and it made me feel so alone

Well yes she's gone, she's gone, God bless her
Wherever she might be
If she'd look this wide world over
She'd a never found a friend like me

Give me my box back coat, and my button shoes
When you lay me down to sleep
Put a bad hand of cards up in my lapel
Set my old guitar right down by my feet

I went down to that St. James Infirmary
Heard my baby groan
Nobody there could cheer me
Cause I know'd that she'd soon be gone

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Joe_F
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 06:59 PM

A oddity I have always wondered about: Where did the stanza beginning "Let her go" come from? It clearly doesn't belong to this song, in which she is dead.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Fliss
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 12:51 PM

PS Mrs Lemon sang a good rendition at Warwick Festival.
fliss

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 02:50 AM

WWOZ-FM
PoppaGator's link working now.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 11:34 PM

Here is a brief and pretty much like Jed's version. Also pretty much like my version. It's an amazing song with many versions to choose from. But...blue clicky
Peace, Rustic

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: PoppaGator
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 12:41 AM

If you ever get a chance, listen to Danny Barker's rendition.

Danny played tenor banjo and guitar (acoustic arch-top of course) with *everybody* in jazz in his heyday -- including many years with The Man himself, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. Danny's solo recording of this song is a masterpiece of comic vocals backed with some nicely understated guitar.

Danny didn't go in for fancy high-speed picking, but his arrangements usually featured some fairly complex chord progressions -- very much in character for a traditional-jazz banjo man.

Yeah, I know, the lyrics are sad and serious; it's not supposed to be a humorous song. Danny sorta treats it as an old chestnut that everyone has already heard way too often, and interjects a lot of added commentary in a good-natured clowning-around manner, as though feigning an effort to stave off boredom.

He also recorded "Save the Bones for Henry Jones ('Cause Henry Doesn't Eat No Meat)" in the same style -- perhaps at the same session -- along with the old French Creole tune "Eh La Bas" and probably several others. The three songs I named are all heard pretty often on our local community radio station, WWOZ-FM. "Save the Bones" is especially hilarious.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 08:54 AM

I remember another verse, after the one ending with "so pale (version I heard: so sweet), so cold, so fair":

"What's my baby's chances?"
I asked old Doctor Sharp.
"Boy, by six o'clock this evening
she'll be playing her golden harp."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 07:54 AM

less so when getting the Big Band treatment by Tom Jones ?!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: JedMarum
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 12:34 AM

great song ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: M.Ted
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 12:30 AM

Jed tells the story the same way I do, except that Big Joe McKennedy, whose eyes were bloodshot red,

"put a great big( or "big greasy") hand on my shoulder,
And these are the words he said:"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Fliss
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 05:25 PM

Anne Lennox Martin does a wonderful version.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Flash Company
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 11:14 AM

What the hell happeened then?
As I was saying

Verse 5
When I die dress me in my black boots
Long black coat and a stetson hat
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So the boys will know I died standing pat.

Made it!!!!

FC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Flash Company
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 11:10 AM

Jed : Jack Teagarden,s version varied from yours I think as follows:
Verse 2
By my side sat old Joe McKinney
His eyes were a bloodshot red
He was drinking up that old rye whisky
And these are the words he said

Vese 5
When I die dress me in my black boots

Subject: Lyr Add: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: JedMarum
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 09:34 AM

Here's the way I sing it:

ST. JAMES INFIRMARY BLUES

It was down at old Joe's bar room
on the corner by the sqaure
the drinks were served as usual
and the usual crowd was there

On my left stood big Joe McKennedy
His eyes were bloodshot red
As he turned to the crowd around him
These were the very words he said

Well I went down to that St James Infrimary
Just to see my baby there
She was stretched out on a long white table
So pale, so cold, so fair

Let her go, let go God bless her
Where ever she may be
She can search this whole wide world over
She'll never find a man sweeter then me

Now when I die won;t you bury me
In my high top Stetson hat
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So the gang will know I died standing pat

I want six crap shooters for my pall bearers
Six pretty girls to sing me a song
Put a jazz band on my hearse wagon
We'll raise hell as we roll along

Let her go let go God bless her
Where ever she may be
She can search this whole wide world over
She'll never find a man sweeter then me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: JedMarum
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 09:26 AM

Doc Watson sings it? I never heard 'im, but I'll bet he does a good job of it. I sing the song a lot and love it ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Morticia
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 06:47 AM

I have the Doc Watson on my computer, I found it at WinMX....will send it to you if you PM me your e-mail

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Sep 04 - 02:56 PM

Looked at the tracks in a number of his albums, no luck. Any idea of when or where he sang it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Sep 04 - 03:26 AM

i too have spent these last hours looking for the doc watson version :-(
no dice in the other thread..

Subject: RE: lyr req/ ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 24 Dec 02 - 02:06 PM

Most of the threads bearing on St James Infirmary listed in thread 26976: St James Infirmary

Subject: RE: lyr req/ ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Morticia
Date: 24 Dec 02 - 09:06 AM

Detail.CFM?messages__Message_ID=328367

Subject: lyr req/ ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: flycatcher
Date: 24 Dec 02 - 02:22 AM

Does anyone have the lyrics to the full version of St. James Infirmary, as sung by Doc Watson?

after the intro, it starts like this:

I went down to st james infirmary
I heard my sweet baby groan
nobody down there could cheer me
cause I knew that she'd soon be gone"

If you can give me the rest it would be very much appreciated, thanks, j. lewis