Song Description
A traditional jazz-blues rendering of what Jelly Roll Morton called "the oldest blues"
| Song Length |
4:08 |
Genre |
Blues - Traditional, Jazz - Classic |
| Tempo |
Medium (111 - 130) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Heartbreaking, Poignant |
Subject |
Sorrow, Future |
| Similar Artists |
Tom Waits, Harry Connick Jr. |
Language |
English |
| Era |
1930 - 1939 |
| |
Lyrics
Gamblers Blues
Traditional, Brook
I went down to old Joe's bar room
On the corner by the square.
The drinks were served as usual,
And the usual crowd was there.
To my left stood big Joe McKennedy
His eyes were bloodshot red.
He turned to the crowd around him,
And these were 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 cold, so pale, so fair.
Well, let her go, let her go, God bless her,
Wherever she may be,
She can search this world over
Never find a sweet a man as me.
When I die, please bury me
In my high-top Stetson hat.
Put a 20 in my hat band
So God'll know I died standin' pat
I want six strong shooters for pall bearers
A chorus girl to sing me a song
Put a jazz band on my procession
Horns wailin' and roll along
Well, let her go, let her go, God bless her,
Wherever she may be,
She can search this world over
Never find a sweet a man as me.
Well, now you've heard my story,
I'll take another shot of booze
And if anyone should ever, ever ask you ?
I've got those Gamblers blues
Yeah, I've got those Gamblers blues
The St. James infirmary blues!