Well, I went down to St. James' Infirmary and I saw my baby there
She was laid out on that long white table, so sweet, so cold, so fair
Well, I went up to see the doctor, "She's feeling very low" he said
Well, I went back to see my baby
And good god, she was lying there dead
So let her go, let her go, God bless her soul
Wherever she may be
She may search this whole wide world over
And never find a motherfucker like me
♪
Well, I went down to Old Joe's Ballroom
On the corner down by the square
They were serving drinks as usual
And all the usual folks were there
Well, to my left stood Old Joe McKennedy
His eyes were bloodshot red
And he turned to the crowd in front of him
And these were the very words that he said
He said, "Let her go, let her go, God bless her soul
Wherever she may be
She may search this whole wide world over
And never find a motherfucker like me."
♪
So 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 devil knows I died standing pat
Six gamblers to carry my coffin
With chorus girls to sing me a song
Put a jazz band on the horse wagon
To raise Hell as we roll along
♪
So bring out the rubber tied carridge
Go ahead and bring out the pony and drive
Twelve men going down to that graveyard
Only eleven of them ever coming back
So let her go, let her go, God bless her soul
Wherever she may be
She may search this whole wide world over
And never find a motherfucker like me
♪
So now, they've heard my story
Well, let's buy another round of booze
And if anyone ever should ask you
I got the St. James' Infirmary blues