Gambler
Louis Armstrong Lyrics


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I went down to the St. James Infirmary
Saw my baby there
Stretched out on a long white table
So sweet, so cold, so fair

Let her go, let her go, God bless her
Wherever she may be
She can look this wide world over
She'll never find a sweet man like me

When I die, want you to dress me in straight-lace shoes
Box-back coat and a Stetson hat




Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So the boys'll know that I died standin' pat

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Louis Armstrong's Hot Five's song St. James Infirmary tell a melancholic story of a man who goes down to the St. James Infirmary, where he sees his baby on a long white table, dead. He describes her as sweet, cold, and fair, indicating a deep love for her, and then asks God to bless her wherever she may be. The man then claims that she'll never find a sweet man like him, implying that he was a good partner to her. He concludes the song by saying that when he dies, he wants to be dressed in straight-lace shoes, a box-back coat, and a Stetson hat. He also requests a twenty-dollar gold piece to be put on his watch chain so that the boys will know that he died standing pat, or not making any changes to his hand in a poker game.


The song St. James Infirmary has been covered by numerous artists, including Cab Calloway, Django Reinhardt, and The White Stripes, among others. Its origins are unclear, but it is believed to have evolved from an 18th-century English folk song known as The Unfortunate Rake. It has also been suggested that it was inspired by a song called The Gambler's Blues, performed by Porter Grainger and Bessie Smith in 1927.


Line by Line Meaning

I went down to the St. James Infirmary
I visited the infirmary at St. James


Saw my baby there
Saw the body of my lover there


Stretched out on a long white table
Their body was laid out on a table, long and white


So sweet, so cold, so fair
Despite being dead, my lover still looked lovely and pure


Let her go, let her go, God bless her
I release her from this world, and may she find peace in the afterlife by God's grace


Wherever she may be
Though she is gone, she will continue to exist somewhere


She can look this wide world over
She may wander and search the world freely


She'll never find a sweet man like me
But she will never find a man as kind and loving as me


When I die, want you to dress me in straight-lace shoes
When I pass away, I wish to be dressed in proper, formal attire


Box-back coat and a Stetson hat
A stylish jacket and hat are also required, reflecting my personal style


Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain
Place a gold coin worth 20 dollars on my watch chain, signifying my wealth and status


So the boys'll know that I died standin' pat
This gesture demonstrates that I remained unyielding and resolute until the very end, which I want others to recognize and respect




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOE PRIMROSE, IRVING MILLS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Anonymous


on What A Wonderful World

What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics

I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you

I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Musical Interlude

The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you

I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world

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