Went down to St. James Infirmary
See my baby there
She’s lying on a long white table
So cool, so calm, so fair

Well I went up to see the doctor
She’s very old he said (?)
Went down to see my baby
Good God, she’s lying dead

Well you can take 17 cold black horses
And your double-tied hag (?)
Seven girls went down to the graveyard
Six of them ever came back

So let her go, let her go, God bless her
Let her go where she may be
You can search the whole world over now
But you’ll never find a man like me

Well if I should die won’t you please bury me
With my high top Stetson hat
Put a gold piece on my watch chain
So they’ll know that I died standin’ pat

Get six gamblers to carry my coffin
Get six chorus girls to sing this song
Get a jazz band to play all my (?)
To raise hell as I’m move along

******

These lyrics for some reason remind me of the Grateful Dead – probably the allusions to death and gambling.

The main part of the song has always made me think that the main character is just a guy that’s talkin’ sh*t at some bar – he’s bragging about his truck and how a rich girl wanted to marry him (and how he’d be the president of the her dad’s company), but his concience got in the way (all for the love of you…). Great lyrics as always!

anyone heard this any other Ive got a truck? I love this bit!

went down to st. james in ______
see my baby there,
shes lying on a long white table, so cool so calm so fair

yeah 16 cold* black horses hitched to a double in hand*
seven girls went to the graveyard only 6 of them ever come back

let her go let her go god bless her
let her go where she may be
cause you can search the whole world over now
but you’ll never find a man like me

but if i die wont you please bury me with with my hitop steps* in hand* with a gold piece on my watch chain so they know i died a standin man*
get six gamblers to carry my coffin
get 6 chors girls to sing me a song
get a jazz band to play at my tailgate baby
to raise hell as i go along*

oh
let her go let her go god bless her
let her go where she may be
cause you can search the whole world over now
but you’ll never find a man like me

* means unsure of lyric.

(VERSE 1)

Em Am
My sweetest love

Em
Forever I’ve known

Em Am B D
Cause I am a truck driving man

Em Am
I’ve driven these roads

Em C
From coast to coast

Em B Em
Seen every corner of the land

(VERSE 2)
Down in the south
I had a gal
Whose daddy was as rich as a king
She begged me to stay
Offerin’ me the world
If I would only buy her a ring

(CHORUS)
G
I said, “I’ve got a truck

C
And a trailer to haul

G B E D C
And a heart that can only be true”

G B E D C
I scorned the love of a rich man’s daughter

G C B A G
All for the love of you

(VERSE 3)
I could have been
A company man
Watched the work get done
I could have even been the president
After her daddy passed on

(CHORUS)
But I’ve got a truck with a trailer to haul
And a heart that can only be true
I scorned the heart of a rich man’s daughter
All for the love of you

(SOLO… Same as Verse)

(VERSE 4)
So come away with me
I’ve got all that we need
If the highway is my kingdom you can be my queen
But we really gotta hurry
I owe that rich girl some money
And I hear her daddy’s looking for me -
[but it’s not my child!]

(CHORUS)
But I’ve got a truck and a trailer to haul
And a heart that can only be true
I scorned the heart of a rich man’s daughter
All for the love of you
(REPEAT CHORUS)
I’ve got a truck and a trailer to haul
And a heart that can only be true
I scorned the love of a rich man’s daughter
All for the love of you

All for the love of you
All for the love of you

So here’s my suggestion:

Em Em A7 A7
Em Em A7 A7
Em A7 B7

Em Em A7 A7
Em Em A7 A7
Em A7 B7 Em

G G C C
G B7 Em G C
G B7 Em G C
G C G C G

Em Em A A
Em Em A A
Em A B

Em Em A A
Em Em A A
Em A B Em

G G C C
G B Em G C
G B Em G C
G C G C G

em7 em7 A7 A7
em7 em7 B7 B7
em7 em7 A7 A7
B7 A7 em7

chorus is something like:

G G G G
C C C C
G G then i’m not sure