Tabs
St James Infirmary Blues by Irving Mills
St James Infirmary Blues is an American blues song and jazz standard of uncertain origin. Louis Armstrong made the song famous in his 1928 recording on which Don Redman was credited as the composer. Later releases gave the name of Joe Primrose, a pseudonym of Irving Mills. The melody is only eight bars long unlike the classic 12 bar blues format. Many various of this song can be found in different keys, with different lyrics and number of verses. The version here is a combination of a couple of versions I found on the net and is in the key of A minor.
Tab: in word document format Instructional video: St. James Infirmary Guitar Lesson - Learn how to play St. James Infirmary on Guitar - EP261
#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.#
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
Tabbed by: Mike Nachaj :: mike@mikemusicbox.com
Song: St James Infirmary Blues
By: Irving Mills
[intro:] |Am E7 |Am E7 |
|Am F7 |C E7 |
|Am E7 |Am D7 |
|F7 E7 |Am E7 |
[verse: 1]
Am E7 Am E7
It was down in Old Joe's bar room
Am F7 C E7
on the corner by the square
Am E7 Am D7
the usual crowd was assembled
F7 E7 Am E7
and big Joe Mckenny was there
[verse: 2]
Am E7 Am E7
He was standing at my shoulder
Am F7 C E7
His eyes were bloodshot red
Am E7 Am D7
He turned to the crowd around him
F7 E7 Am E7
These are the very words he said (wad he say Jack)
[verse: 3]
Am E7 Am E7
I went down to the St. James Infirmary
Am F C E7
I saw my baby there
Am E7 Am D7
she was layed out on a cold white table
F7 E7 Am E7
so cold, so white, so fair
[verse: 4]
Am E7 Am E7
Let her go, let her go, god bless her
Am F7 C E7
wherever she may be
Am E7 Am D7
she may search this wide world over
F7 E7 Am E7
she'll never find a sweet man like me
[verse: 5]
Am E7 Am E7
When I die, bury me
Am F7 C E7
in a high top Stetson hat
Am E7 Am D7
put a 20 dollar goldpiece on my watch chain
F7 E7 Am E7
so god knows I died standing pat
[verse: 6]
Am E Am E7
I want six crapshooters for pallbearers
Am F7 C E7
Chorus gonna sing me a song
Am E7 Am D7
put a jazz band on my hearse wagon
F7 E7 Am E7
raise hell, as I roll along
[verse: 7]
Am E7 Am E7
Roll out your rubber tired carriage
Am F7 C E7
roll out your old time hack
Am E7 Am D7
Twelve men going to the graveyard and
F7 E7 Am E7
1'1l never coming back
[verse: 8]
Am E7 Am E7
Now that I've told my story
Am F7 C E7
I'll take another shot of booze
Am E7 Am D7
and if anyone should happen to ask me
F7 E7 Am E7
I got those St. James Infirmary blues
[coda:] |Am E7 |Am E7 |
|Am F7 |C E7 |
|Am E7 |Am D7 |
|F7 E7 |Am E7 | Am {finish}
chords:
Am 002210 or 577555
C 032010 or 335553
D7 000212 or 557575 or x5453x
E7 020100 or 779797 or x7675x
F7 131211 or 8 8 10 8 10 8 or x8786x