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Gambler's Blues
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A re-working of the old standard, St. James Infirmary Blues.
Artist picture
Singer/songwriter combining the imagery of Bob Dylan's lyrics with B.B. King guitar playing, Neil Young's harmonica, and a Johnny Cash voice to create something
Lester is a singer/songwriter who's lyrical style has been described as "throwing a bucket of paint at a wall to see what happens." In reality, his songs are bluesy and his lyrics paint interesting pictures with unique turns of phrase. He combines the imagery of Bob Dylan's lyrics with B.B. King guitar playing, Neil Young's harmonica, and a Johnny Cash voice to create something that might be called CountryBluesFolkRock. Originally from Maine, Lester currently lives with his wife, two kids and four cats in the middle of Florida, which is exactly like Maine... just a hell of a lot warmer.
Song Info
Genre
Blues • Blues Rock
Charts
#2,408 in subgenre Peak #40
Charts
Peak #92
Author
traditional
Rights
2006, arr.. Lester Norton
Uploaded
April 11, 2006
Track Files
MP3
MP3 3.4 MB • 128 kbps • 3:43
Story behind the song
Airtran isn't the greatest airline in the world. However, one thing they have that is nifty is XM Satellite Radio on some flights for you to listen to as you wing your way across the land. On the way home from Vegas (baby), I tuned in to the folk channel and listened to Arlo Guthrie from the Judy Collins Wildflower Festival. He did a great version of "St. James Infirmary," and I thought I'd like to mangle one of my own. Well, I got home, and I couldn't remember the stupid tune (old age sucks). I have the words in Carl Sandburg's American Songbag, but even though it's a standard that's been done by everyone from Louis Armstrong to Jimmie Rodgers to the White Stripes, my brain went blank on the music. iTunes to the rescue! I did a search on it and found snippets from a bazillion artists (enough to know that it has been done a bazillion different ways), and away I went. Now, the thing about this song is that it's been called everything from "St. James Infirmary" to "St. James Infirmary Blues" to "Those Gambler's Blues" to just "Gambler's Blues". And, of course, the words are all slightly different. There are two versions of the lyrics in the Sandburg book, and I chose to mix the first three verses from the second version with the last three verses from the first version and call it "St. James Infirmary" instead of "St. Joe's Infirmary". And the main reason I did that is to confuse the hell out of you! Aren't you impressed?
Lyrics
I went down to the St. James infirmary To see my baby there She was layin' on a table So white, so cold, so fair I went up to see the doctor "She's very low," he said I went back to see my baby Oh Lord, she's layin' there dead Let her go, let her go, God bless her Wherever she may be There'll never be another like my baby And there'll never be another for me Oh, when I die just bury me In a box-back coat and a hat Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain To let the Lord know I'm standing pat Six crap shooters as pall bearers A chorus girl to sing a song A jazz band to follow me to the graveyard To raise hell as we go along And now you've heard my story I'll take another shot of booze If anybody happens by to ask you I've got those gambler's blues
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