The Saint Louis Blues

The Saint Louis Blues
Words and Music by William Christopher Handy

Verse 1: I hate to see de evening sun go down,
Hate to see de evening sun go down,
'Cause ma baby he done lef dis town.
Feelin' tomorrow lak ah feel today.
Feel tomorrow lak ah feel today.
I'll pack my trunk make ma gitaway.

Interlude 1: St. Louis 'oman wid he diamon' rings
Pulls day man roun' by her apron strings.
'Twant for powder an' for store-bough hair
De man ah love would not gone nowhere.

Chorus: Got de St. Louis Blues jes blue as ah can be.
Dat man got a heart lak a rock cast in the sea.
Or else he wouldn't gone so far from me. Spoken: Doggone it!
I loves dat man lak a schoolboy loves his pie,
Lak a Kentucky Col'nel loves his mint an' rye,
I'll love ma baby till de day ah die.

Verse 2: Been to de Gypsy to get ma fortune tole,
To de Gypsy, done got ma fortune tole,
'Cause I'm is wile 'bout ma Jelly Roll.
Gypsy done tole me, "don't you wear no black,"
Yas she done tole me, "don't you wear no black,
Go to st. Louis, you can win him back."

Interlude 2: Help me to Cairo, make St. Louis by maself.
Git to Cairo, find ma ole friend Jeff.
Gwine to pin maself close to his side.
If ah flag his train, I show can ride.

Verse 3: You ought to see dat stove pipe brown of mine,
Lak he owns de Dimon' Joseph line,
He'd make a cross-eyed 'oman go stone blin'.
Blacker than midnight, teeth lak flags o' truce,
Blackest man in de whole Saint Louis,
Blacker de berry, sweeter are the juice.

Interlude 1: About a crap game he knows a pow'ful lot,
But when work-time comes, he's on de dot.
Gwine to ask him for a cold ten-spot,
What it takes to git, he's cert'nly got.

The Saint Louis Blues — Performed by Kelsey Pederson and Bill Edwards