St James Infirmary Blues

Music arranged and conducted by Rob Birdwell. Katie Smith (vocalist), with the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra

Score and parts now available on Sheet Music Plus: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...

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St. James Infirmary Blues
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lyrics (author unknown) as performed/sung by Katie Smith
orchestral arrangement written and conducted by Rob Birdwell

Arrangement Copyright © Rob Birdwell / BirdwellMusic LLC
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It was down by old Joe's barroom,
at the corner by the square
they were serving drinks as usual
and the usual crowd was there

When up stood Big Joe McKennedy,
his eyes were bloodshot red
he looked at the crowd around him
and this is what he said

I went down to St. James infirmary,
I saw my baby there
She was stretched out on a long white table,
So cold, so fair, so pale

Oh, let her go, let her go, God bless her.
Wherever she may be
And you can tell her she can search
The whole wide world over
She'll never find another man like me

Seventeen coal black horses,
To pull that rubber tied hack
Well it's seventeen miles to the graveyard,
But my baby's never coming back!

When I die please bury me
in my high top Stetson hat
And place a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
To let the Lord know I died standing pat

I want six crapshooters for my pallbearers
A chorus girl to sing me a song
And stick a jazz band on my hearse wagon
To Raise some hell as I stroll along

Now that you've heard my story,
I'll take another shot of booze.
If anybody here should ever ask you,
I got the St. James Infirmary Blues!
Yea, I've got St. James…
The St. James Infirmary Blues!