i went down to old joe s bar room on the corner of the street here were drinking wine as usual and the usual crowd was there on my left was joe mackennedy his eyes were blood shot red his elbow on the bar he turned to me and these are the words he said so sad i went down to st james infirmary i saw my baby there looked down on a long white table so sweet so cold so fair let him go let him go god bless him wherever he may be he can look this wide world over he ll never find that sweet boy like me used to be my own 