Koerner grew up in Rochester, New York, and after a brief military service attended the University of Minnesota. He intended to major in engineering, but soon became involved in the local music scene where he met Dave Ray and Tony Glover. They formed a loose-knit trio, releasing albums under the name Koerner, Ray & Glover. The group gained notoriety with Blues, Rags and Hollers originally released by Audiophile in 1963 and then re-released by Elektra Records.
Koerner was an early influence on Bob Dylan and is mentioned in his autobiography Chronicles. Of that time period, Koerner later said, "We were all goofy, you know. We were thinkers and drinkers and artists and players, and Dylan was one of us. He was another guy."
In 1965, Koerner recorded his first solo album, Spider Blues, for Elektra and appeared at the Newport Folk Festival accompanied by Glover. He continued playing on the folk circuit and joined with Willie Murphy to record Running, Jumping, Standing Still in 1969. The duo eventually split up and Koerner pursued an unsuccessful career in film-making, retiring from music and moving to Copenhagen, Denmark. He later returned to music in the traditional folk music genre and continued to perform and release new albums from time to time. He now lives in Minneapolis and has two sons and a daughter.
St. James Infirmary
Spider John Koerner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They were serving drinks as usual, and the usual crowd was there
On my left stood Big Joe McKennedy, and his eyes were bloodshot red
And he turned his face to the people, these were the very words he said
I was down to St. James infirmary, I saw my baby there
She was stretched out on a long white table,
So sweet, cool and so fair
Let her go, let her go, God bless her
Wherever she may be
She may search this whole wide world over
Never find a sweeter man as me
When I die please bury me in my high top Stetson hat
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
The gang'll know I died standing pat
Let her go, let her go God bless her
Wherever she may be
She may search this wide world over
Never find a sweeter man as me
I want six crapshooters to be my pallbearers
Three pretty women to sing a song
Stick a jazz band on my hearse wagon
Raise hell as I stroll along
Let her go Let her go
God bless her
Wherever she may be
She may search this whole wide
World over
She'll never find a sweeter
Man as me
The opening stanza of the song paints a picture of a typical evening in a local bar in a bustling town-house corner. Big Joe McKennedy, his eyes bloodshot from either booze or tears, addresses the crowd with sadness and grief in his voice. He shares his experience of visiting St. James Infirmary and seeing his lover lying on a white table, supposedly dead. Joe grieves for the loss of his lover and longs to keep her memory alive as a sweet and beautiful woman that he loved deeply.
As the song progresses, Joe expresses his love for his girlfriend and his desire to be buried with his valuables, including his high top Stetson hat and a twenty-dollar gold piece on his watch chain. He wants six crapshooters to be his pallbearers, three pretty women to sing a song, and a jazz band to accompany his hearse wagon. This depicts a man who lived his life on his own terms and wants to depart from this world with just as much extravagance.
The song encapsulates the melancholy of love and loss, the desire for remembrance, and cultural practices that defy the status quo. The refrain "Let her go, let her go, god bless her" re-emphasises the pain and sorrow of loss and the futility of holding on to something that's gone.
Line by Line Meaning
It was down by old Joe's barroom, on the corner of the square
The scene was set at Joe's barroom, which is situated in the square
They were serving drinks as usual, and the usual crowd was there
As expected, drinks were being served, and the usual crowd was present
On my left stood Big Joe McKennedy, and his eyes were bloodshot red
Big Joe McKennedy was standing on my left, and he had red, bloodshot eyes
And he turned his face to the people, these were the very words he said
He faced the crowd and spoke these words
I was down to St. James infirmary, I saw my baby there
I went to St. James Infirmary and saw my lover's dead body
She was stretched out on a long white table, So sweet, cool and so fair
Her body was lying on a table, looking peaceful and beautiful
Let her go, let her go, God bless her, Wherever she may be
He wishes his lover well, and hopes that she is at peace
She may search this whole wide world over, Never find a sweeter man as me
He believes that he was the best man for her, and that she will never find anyone better
When I die please bury me in my high top Stetson hat, Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
He wants to be buried in his favorite hat and with a gold coin around his neck
The gang'll know I died standing pat
He wants people to remember him as someone who remained true, even until his death
I want six crapshooters to be my pallbearers, Three pretty women to sing a song
He wants six friends who share his love of gambling to carry his casket, and three attractive women to sing a song
Stick a jazz band on my hearse wagon, Raise hell as I stroll along
He wants a jazz band to play at his funeral procession, and for everyone to have a good time
Let her go Let her go, God bless her, Wherever she may be, She may search this whole wide World over, She'll never find a sweeter Man as me
He repeats his wish for his lover to rest in peace and reiterates his belief that he was the best partner for her
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Irving Mills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeffrey Matuszak
One of the best early morning radio interview jamsin music history. U know it's special when the singer ends with ' something like that'!!!😸👍
Jeffrey Matuszak
This man is so incredibly brilliant. An American treasure and an unsung hero of Minnesota and the World!(in that order)🎼😸