St. James Infirmary

Phil B.

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St. James Infirmary is a very old song that has had many variations, but cannot be denied as one of the most powerful and long lasting tunes in blues/jazz history. Eventually, it also bled over into the rock scene.

"St. James Infirmary Blues" is based on an 18th century traditional English folk song called "The Unfortunate Rake" (also known as "The Unfortunate Lad" or "The Young Man Cut Down in His Prime"). There are numerous versions of the song throughout the English-speaking world. It also evolved into other American standards such as "The Streets of Laredo"[1]. "The Unfortunate Rake" is about a sailor who uses his money on prostitutes, and then dies of a venereal disease. Different versions of the song expand on this theme: variations typically feature a narrator telling the story of a youth "cut down in his prime" (occasionally "her prime") as a result of some morally questionable actions. For example, when the song moved to America, gambling and alcohol became common causes of the youth’s death.

The title is derived from St. James Hospital in London, a religious foundation for the treatment of leprosy. It was closed in 1532 when Henry VIII acquired the land to build St. James Palace.[2]

The song was first collected in England in its version as "The Unfortunate Rake" by Henry Hammond by a Mr. William Cutis at Lyme Regis, Dorset in March 1906.

The song

The song involves a man telling the singer/narrator, at a bar, how he went down to St. James Infirmary (hospital) and tragically found his girl (the so-called "baby") dead.

Like most such folksongs, there is much variation in the lyrics from one version to another. As a representative version, here is the first stanza as sung by Louis Armstrong:
I went down to St. James Infirmary, Saw my baby there, Stretched out on a long white table, So cold, so sweet, so fair. Let her go, let her go, God bless her, Wherever she may be, She can look this wide world over, But she'll never find a sweet man like me.

LINK: St. James Infirmary Blues - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





A list of different renditions

01-Doc Watson With Richard Watson & Jack Lawrence — St. James Infirmary
02-Cephas & Wiggins — St. James Infirmary
03-Garland Wilson — St. James Infirmary/ When Your Lover Has Gone
04-Bobby Blue Bland — St. James Infirmary
05- Henry Red Allen — St. James Infirmary
06-Rosa King — St. James infirmary
07-Dick Curless w — St. James Infirmary
08-Hot Lips Page — St. James Infirmary
09-Henry Red Allen — St. James Infirmary
10-Louis Armstrong — St. James Infirmary
11-Kid Ory & Henry Allen — St. James Infirmary
12-Roosevelt Sykes — St. James Infirmary
14-Stan Kenton — Gambler’s Blues
16-Henry ‘Red’ Allen — St. James Infirmary
17-Angela Brown, Albert C.Humprey & Christian Chritstl — St. James Infirmary
18-Buddy Blue — St. James Infirmary
19-Turk Murphy Jazz Band — St. James Infirmary
20-Louis Armstrong — St. James Infirmary
21-Doc Watson with Richard Watson & Jack Lawrence — St. James Infirmary
22-The Dirty Dozen Brass Band — St. James Infirmary
23-Henry Red Allen — St. James Infirmary
24-Snooks Eaglin — St. James Infirmary
25-Blind John Davis — St. James Infirmary
26-Mojo Buford — St. James Infirmary
27-Jack Teagarden — St. James Infirmary
28-Jack Teagarden, Family & Friends — St. James Infirmary
29-Jack Teagarden — St. James Infirmary
30-Jack Teagarden — St. James Infirmary
31-Jack Teagarden — St. James Infirmary.m4a
32-Jack Teagarden — St. James Infirmary
33-Kansas City Frank and His Footwarmers — St. James Infirmary
34-Humphrey Lyttelton — St. James Infirmary
35-Marva Wright — St. James Infirmary
36-Cab Calloway And His Orchestra — St. James Infirmary
37-Jonah Jones — St. James Infirmary
38-George Lewis Oxford 10 — St. James Infirmary
39-Julia Lee — St. James Infirmary
40-Butch Thompson — St. James Infirmary
41-Billie And De De Pierce — St. James Infirmary
42-Kid Ory’s Creole Jazz Band — St. James Infirmary
43-Little Mack Simmons — St. James Infirmary
44-Doc Evans, Knocky Parker, Albert Nicholas — St. James Infirmary blues
45-Bob Crosby — St. James Infirmary
46-Jack Teagarden — St. James Infirmary
47-Buck Clayton — St.James Infirmary
48-Artie Shaw — St. James Infirmary – Part 1
49-Dave Van Ronk — Gambler’s Blues
50-Artie Shaw — St. James Infirmary – Part 2
51-Dr. John — St. James Infirmary
52-R. Crumb — St. James Infirmary
53-Ben Webster — St. James Infirmary
54-Pete Fountain — St. James Infirmary
55-Sidney Bechet — St. James Infirmary
56-Jack Teagarden — St. James Infirmary.m4a
57-Jack Teagarden — St. James Infirmary.m4a
58-Artie Shaw & His Orchestra — St. James Infirmary, Pts. 1-2
59-Cab Calloway & His Orchestra — St. James Infirmary
60-Cab Calloway & His Orchestra — St. James Infirmary
61-Stuff Smith — St. James Infirmary
62-Bill Coleman — St. James Infirmary
63-Mattie Hite– St. Joe’s Infirmary (Those Gambler’s Blues)
64-Duke Ellington — St. James Infirmary
65-Pete Seeger — St. James Hospital
66-Louis Armstrong — St. James Infirmary
67-Jack Teagarden — St. James Infirmary
68-The Doors — St. James Infirmary
69-Blind Willie McTell — Dying Gambler
70-Art Hodes — St. James Infirmary
71-Josh White — St. James Infirmary
72-Animals — St. James Infirmary
73-Arlo Guthrie — St. James Infirmary
74-Brownie McGhee — St. James Infirmary Blues
75-Cab Calloway — St. James Infirmary
76-Chris Thomas King — St. James Infirmary
77-Creed Taylor Orchestra — St. James Infirmary
78-Bessie Smith — Dying Gambler’s Blues
79-Dixieland Rhythm Kings — St. James Infirmary
80-Ernest Tubbs — Drivin’ Nails In My Coffin
81-Hot Lips Page — St. James Infirmary
82-Jackie Wilson — St. James Infirmary
83-Joe Cocker — St. James Infirmary
84-Johnny Kendall And The Heralds — St. James Infirmary
85-Kathy Kersh — St. James Infirmary
86-Kent DuChaine — St. James Infirmary
87-Louis Armstrong — St.James Infirmary
88-Peter Fountain & Al Hirt — St. James Infirmary
89-Perez Prado — St. James Infirmary
90-Ramblin’ Jack Elliott & Dave Van Ronk — St. James Infirmary
91-Louis Armstrong — St. James Infirmary
92-Hokum Boys — St. James Infirmary
93-Hokum Boys — St. James Infirmary
94-Cab Calloway — St. James Infirmary
95-Jimmy Smith — St. James Infirmary
96-Tom Jones & Jools Holland — St. James Infirmary
97-The Triffids — St. James Infirmary
99-James Solberg Band — St. James Infirmary Blues
100-Alex Hill And His Orchestra — St. James Infirmary
101-Harlem Hot Chocolates — St. James Infirmary
102-Suspense — St. James Infirmary (Radio Drama)
103-Alex Harvey — St. James Infirmary
105-The Ventures — St. James Infirmary
106-White Stripes — St. James Infirmary Blues
107-Wingy Manone & His Orchestra — St. James Infirmary
109-Harry Connick Jr. — St. James Infirmary
110-Blind John Davis — St. James Infirmary
112-Blind Willie McTell — Dying Gambler
117-Cab Calloway — St. James Infirmary
121-What Me Worry Jug Band — St. James Infirmary
 

Phil B.

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A few of my favorite versions of the tune,


Allen Toussaint: St. James Infirmary



Louis Armstrong: St. James Infirmary



Cab Calloway: St. James Infirmary



Zephyr: St James Infirmary



The Animals: St. James Infirmary



Bobby Blue Bland: St. James Infirmary





and probably my favorite version, which is a variation on the theme...

KoKo Taylor and Willie Dixon: Insane Asylum

 
Last edited:

robpape

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To extend the thread check out Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues (Blind Willie McTell and later Dave Bromberg more recently on You Tube ) great lyrics...Also As a bit of an old fogie and folkie I remember a song by Steeleye Span ..When I was on horseback which would fit with the earlier variants....
 

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