St. James Infirmary (complete)

by Joe Primrose a.k.a. Irving Mills · posted by aussie

How hard is it?

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How to read this tab — notation key

+: Blow note
−: Draw note
b or ': Half-step bend
bb or '': Two half-step bend
bbb or ''': Three half-step bend
(###): Chord — relevant hole numbers in parentheses
< or *: Push the button in (chromatic harmonica)

Full reference and posting tips in the tab guide.

Tab

Play this mournful and slow
INTRO 
4-4 5 5 -4 5 4 b-3 b-3 -3 4 2 b-3 4 5 -4 4 b-3 5

5  5    5   5   -4    -4    5  4 -3
I went down to Saint James Infirm`ry 
4   4  -4  -5   5
to see my baby there
 5   5   5  5  5  5  -4   5    4 b-3
She was laying on a long white table 
b-3 4    4  b-3  4  b-3
so sweet so cool so fair
 5   5  5  -4  5   4 b-3  5     5 5   -6  -5  5
Went up to see the doctor"She`s very low" he said
 5    5   5  -4  5  4-3  b-3   -3  4   b-3
Went back to see my baby great god she was
 5-4    4   b-3
lying there dead
5  5    5   -4  -4  5    4  b-3  4   4   4  4
I went down to old Joe`s barroom on the corner
-6 -5    5
by the square
 5    5    5  5   5   -4    5  4 b-3 b-3  3  
They were servin`the drinks as usual and the 
4b-3   5-4   4   b-3
usual crowd was there
5  5   5     5    -4  5 4 b-3  5    5
On my left stood Joe McKennedy his eyes 
-6     -5   5
blood shot red
5    5    5   5   -4    5  4  b-3 b-3 -3 4
He turned to the crowd around him these are
4b-3 5-4  4   -3
the words he said
 5   5  5  b-3  5  -4  5    4   b-3 5  5 b-3
Let her go let her go God bless her wherever 
-6  -5  5
she may be
 5   5  5 b-3 4 5    -4    5   4 b-3
She may search this wide world over
b-3 -3 4b-3   4  b-35-4  4   b-3
she`ll never find a man like me
5   5  b-3 -4   5    4 4 b-3  4 4  4b-3 4  5
Oh when I die please bury me in my high   top
-6 b-3  -5
Stetson hat
 5  5  5    5    -4 5   4     b-3
Put a gold piece on my watch chain
b-3 -3 4    4   4  b-3 5 -4 4   b-3
so they`ll know I died standin` pat
5    5  5b-3 5   5  -4 5  5   4 -3  5    5 b-3
Get six gamblers to carry my coffin,six chorus
 4    5   -6  -5  5
girls to sing my song
 5  5 5b-3 4 5   -4 5  4b-3 b-3 -3 4b-3   4
Put a jazz  band on my tailgate to raise hell
b-3 5 4  4 b-3
as we go along
 5  5 b-3  5b-3-45 5  5  4 b-3  4    4b-3
Now that`s the end of my story let`s have 
 4 5 -6  b-3  -5  5
another round of booze
 5  5  5 b-3 5  b-3   -4   -4  5    4   b-3
And if any-one should ask you just tell them
b-3  b-3 -3   4     4    b-3 5-4 4  b-3
I`ve got the Saint James Infirmary Blues


  b-3= bend on draw hole 3 Many Blues men
 have done this song this is just another version

Play on a harmonica— watch which holes to blow & draw, with sound