I went down to old Joe's bar-room
On the corner by the square
And drinks were being served as usual
And a goodly crowd was there

When up stepped big Joe McKennedy
And his eyes (his eyes) were bloodshot red
As he poured himself more whiskey
Oh these are the very words that he said

Said I went down to the St. James Infirmary
And I saw my baby there
Stretched out on a long white table
So sweet, so still, so cold and so goddamn fair

Let her go, let her go, god bless her soul
Wherever she may be
She may search the whole wide world over
But she'll never find a sweet man like me

When I die best put me in my straight lace shoes
Box-back coat, a high-top stetson hat
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece into my watch-chain
So my boys will know I died standing pat

When I die just bury me in my straight lace shoes
With a box-back coat and a high-top Stetson hat
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece into my watch-chain
So my boys will know I died standing pat
Well there's sixteen coal black horses
And they're hitched to her rubber-tired hack
And there's seven women going into that graveyard
Only six of them are ever coming back

Let her go, let her go, god bless her soul
Wherever she may be
She may search this whole wide world over
But she'll [?] like me

I want six craps shooters pall bearers
Want a chorus girl to sing me a song
And I want a big ol' jazz-band riding on the back of my hack
To raise sweet hell as we roll along

And now that you've heard my story
Won't you buy me another shot of that booze?
And if any man, he should ask you
You tell 'em I got them St. James Infirmary blues
You tell 'em I got (I got) I got the St. James Infirmary blues