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Old Joe’s Barroom Lyrics by Dock Boggs

His Folkways Years, 1963-1968

1965

I was down in Old Joe's Barroom
A corner by the square
The drinks were served as usual
Well, a goodly crowd was there
On the left stood Joe McKinsey
His eyes all bloodshot red
He gazed at the crowd about him
Boys, this is what he said
As I past St. James Infirmary
I seen my good gal there
She was all stretched out on a cold white table
So cold, so sweet, so fair
I may be killed on the ocean
May be struck by a stray cannonball
You can write in life's history
That a woman was the cause of it all
If I die, little woman, won't you bury me
For my tombstone, write the letters in black
Sayin', "There lays my hard workin' daddy
Great God, won't you please bring him back"
I work in these old coal mines
Sundays and all night long
Tryin' to provide for my wife and baby
But now she's took it and gone
Let her go, let her go, God bless her
She's mine wherever she may be
She may travel this whole world over
She'll never find a pal like me
Want eight easy dice-rollin' hustlers
Four black-headed woman singin' song
Fill my casket with moonshine whiskey
So I can drink while the hearse rolls on
Oh, now you've heard my story
I'll take another shot of booze
If anybody happens to ask you
You can tell 'em I got the poker playin' blues
Credits
Dock Boggs

Dock Boggs

About “Old Joe’s Barroom” by Dock Boggs

Read the complete lyrics to "Old Joe’s Barroom" by Dock Boggs from the album "His Folkways Years, 1963-1968" in 1965. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under American Folk, Country, Folk.

"Old Joe’s Barroom" is performed by Dock Boggs. from the album "His Folkways Years, 1963-1968" in 1965 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Old Joe’s Barroom", explore more songs by Dock Boggs using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Old Joe’s Barroom" is credited to Dock Boggs. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Old Joe’s Barroom" appears on "His Folkways Years, 1963-1968" in 1965.

Visit the Dock Boggs artist page at /artist/dock-boggs for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.