The White Stripes - St. James Infirmary Blues Manaus

[Parnasian]

I think they did a good version.

[TheDvs0ne]

Just because musicians have a couple good songs doesn't mean all of the stuff is going to be good. If i was going to do a cover that "all" the greats have done their interpretations of... I would have tried a bit harder. Everybody relax...

[qubeysan]

@kelle101 your yuck!



[Stephane333]

i think as far as i can read a few comments, if you dont understand the white stripes, if you dont "get it" you wont get this

[delilahriverasolis]

wtf, they did amazing. & if you don't like it, go home.

[missyleesee]

not to my taste cause im a bit of a jazzhead - but hey he's done a great job!

[hingedelephant]

Wow. That was horrible. They butchered it.

[kellee101]

Yuck!

[metyuewb]

what...the...FUCK

[streetspiritben]

i'm in love with jack white. and a huge fan of this song. but i'm not loving his version

[madmax2069]

sorry i just cant get into this version of the song.

[R4inbowEyes]

Jack sang a version of Cab Calloway

[cheeseysquirls]

If it wasn't for The White Stripes I wouldn't be listening to any older blues songs like St. James Infirmary or Death letter. They haven't ruined these songs by covering them, they've opened them up for younger people to listen to.

[jackogreen23]

yep. Argh.

[Scinauticando]

I think it's a legit version... In this version I imagine the protagonist getting to the hospital after a rushed run, still panting...

[talenttrading]

argh

[aaronkingq]

Jack White is a great modern bluesman, but this isn't their greatest work at all. Listen to their cover of Death Letter Blues, its much better. I think Jack does better covers of delta blues than the more jazzish blues.

[thommytaranto]

I love 0:39 to 1:05 so MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[greenevegiebeast]

First off, I am a musician, and I have played with, and still play with many professional musicians(I.E. They get payed to play) second, a "cover" is usually a tribute, or. A version done I reverence to the original. No this song doesn't have the most clear cut history, there is a history. In my opinion, their version is a slap in the face, to all the "blues" and "Jazz" musicians that have played the song with all their heart.

[Guitar4ever0]

@greenevegiebeast go fuck yourself

[clavin747]

@Guitar4ever0 keep it to yourself. getta grip. people have opinions, as do you. but sometimes its better to shut the fuck up and simply say "i dont agree". people like you make humans look bad.

[greenevegiebeast]

as a jazz player my self, Im offended. that was hands down the worst version of the song I have ever heard. Eric Claptons version was even better. Ive heard amatures do better renditions, they should feel ashamed. It is suposed to be slow and mellow. Its a lamanation over a lost love, not a lost speed date.

[paranoidkid17]

@greenevegiebeast its St. James Infirmary BLUES not St. James Infirmary JAZZ this is a traditional folk song which he made back into what it. He stripped it down to its pure form.

[clavin747]

@paranoidkid17 listen dipshit, learn before you teach. BLUES means SAD SLOW MOURNFUL music. IE having the blues. you feel down. this is NOT blues. and its not the purest form. do the lyrics sound like your on the blow and you just won a million bucks and you cant get the money fast enough? naw man, you just lost your lover, and you feel like crap. you dont wanna go for a run, you wanna cry. before you SPEAK, know FACTS.

[paranoidkid17]

@clavin747 How is it not blues?

Do you think sad music has to be sad...?

Listen to Blind Willie Johnson, Robert Johnson that's blues the lyrics are sad but the music is upbeat its a kissoff not a funeral mass. The blues range from Blind Willie McTell To Bob Dylan To Jack White all of it is blues. Now the guy i commented said it sucked because Jazz is better but It's an opinion and he was kind enough to ignore mine

Don't call people dip shit right off the bat you come off as ignorant prick

[watahead95]

@paranoidkid17 If you think this is (and this tune should always be) a bluesy take on the an old classic then it is clear that you have no idea what you are talking about and you pulled those names out by typing in "old blues legends" into google. JW was trying to make the song his own but unfortunately has already been done by Cobain. So......in all not a cover worthy to be associated with "The Blues".

[thelatvianlord]

@watahead95 I can see how someone might not like Jack White (although I truly admire his style), and that's cool, there's different music for all types of people, but accusing Jack of not playing The Blues is just plain ridiculous, my friend.

[jamesatthedisco69]

@clavin747 you are an idiot, blues is whatever you make it, it often has sad slow songs, but it doesnt mean sad slow mournful music, ever heard boom boom by john hooker? widely accepted as a blues song its neither sad or slow. stop acting like theres a set rule on what blues has to be, and that your opinion is right.. because its really not

[Patsea111]

@greenevegiebeast I so agree with you. This version is so bad.

I've heard this song by several artists but this mess ...well it's like a sucker punch to blues lovers.

[moloko89]

@greenevegiebeast

hahaha, have you ever listened to an AUTHENTHIC musician? i doubt that!

a cover isnt supposed to be shit, sir.

it just goes trough the interpreter and will get its own form!

but that is something people like you will never understand, cause you always TRY to make a song what its SUPPOSED to be!

[clavin747]

@moloko89 have you ever played music? if so, then you know that it can be ANYTHING. both what you say and what the other person says. but to be honest, this isnt very good.. come on, jack coulda done better with his skills, we all know that.

[nettledned]

is this sorta sayin ospitals make ya ill yeh

[Sinisterkidvids]

well if jack was perfect he would suck the point is he was on mtv a mainstream channel and played a song so un mainstream i think that pays his tribute to the artist

[DavelovesRealMusic]

I like jack White--he can interpret many songs well. I don't think he did this one jsutice. It is a sad, sad song about mourning someone's death of a drug overdose,. I don't know what Jack is trying to do here..but he didnt bring that sadness across to me--he made it manic depressive. I dont buy it. I do love his version of Blackjack Davey though, quite impressive.

[drowsynumbness]

@DavelovesRealMusic you're entitled to your opinion, but the most common reading of this song (in its many versions) is that while pretending to talk about the deceased beloved, it's really talking about the drunkard in the bar and the narrator of the story. To a great extent this has nothing to do with the girl.

But I must add that musicians do this song precisely because they like to pick up an old theme and give it their own spin. You may well have heard a tragic version about the song :)

[fartjack]

@wieder09 In my opinion, they did. I've always disliked erratic revisions of songs being accepted as good just because of its "shocking contrast." I could sing like that and people would call me shit. He can get away with it because he's proven his talent in previous works. There is nothing amazing here, just pretentious crap. Check out Devil Makes Three's version... jam-tune. I sincerely mean this: No offense to you personally. Cheers!

[troc10]

jack white's a true blues man

im sad for those of you who dont understand this

but everyones entitled to theyre own bullshit opinions 

[mbvaught]

This song is s'posed to have a eerie New Orleans death march type of tempo & works well that way by all the others who have recorded it over the years , the white wipes & jack black or whatever they are called didn't add anything with their horrible rendition.

[MrMariodave]

sounds horrible. the white stripes havent got any talent

[eevlwich]

there is no one like you jack

[NotSoUniversal]

love the band, hate their version of this...nah, "hate" is a strong word...but I think this sucks in comparison to the songs earlier versions

[Siblymonist]

...no, he murdered this song. Shame on you supporting him. hes practicaly gonna break the damn piano, and all he does is scream at the microphone. Definately not the smooth loveable version I remember.

[musicmaniacmadman]

@Siblymonist i think the point was to not have the smooth loveable version. although with all of jacks talent he could have done a way better version of the song. it sounds bad

[ultimatebeatles]

@Siblymonist smooth, yes, but there is nothing loveable about this song... it's a scary song. Eerie. morbid, perhaps.

[Cordius]

No, they definitely killed this song. The originals were so much better. I love white stripes, but screaming the lyrics into a mic does not do the song justice.

[loveoutlaw6157]

his stash is G.

[slpr1mz]

allright i'll put one up soon (:

[slpr1mz]

i know how to play this! i learned by ear tutorial soon? anybody wanna know how to play this?

[galaxyrock]

@slpr1mz Sure, why not?

[mohawksaresexy2]

Jack oh Jack, you can sing to me any night. You have strong feeling when you sing (the album version is fabulous). Will you sing over my dead body when I am dead? I would want none other. And if I smile, that means I heard you in Heaven. He is so well informed with music from other times, and he should not be compared, but praised. I love the way he pours his soul into his voice as it seeps out through his breath and carresses my lips and cradles my head. Yes that is how i feel when Jack sings.

[Jcolinsol]

Well, hey ain't no Cab Calloway.

[TheWhiteBandana]

:/ i thought it sounded fine...people be trippin!!!!!!!!

[InnerMittenSignal]

i hope i also have more talent than any other person's left (or right) pinky...

[Yesh628]

he can play piano too, damn, dudes got more talent than most people's left pinky

[hansTowns]

i think you mean the dude got more talent in his left pinky than most people have in their entire body?

[LeStudenti]

Personally, I do not like this particular version. I do however believe that art is expression, and I give them props for covering this traditional song, and making it their own.

[wieder09]

They did not murder that song. They took a somewhat stagnant song which hasn't been sang well since the 1960s and made it their own.

Amazing.

[clavin747]

@wieder09 stagnant yes. but just cause they can play it fast dont mean its good. i can speed up any peice of shit song, but it dont mean i made it amazing. its just fast. big deal.

[LillyCandyCane]

If you want perfect music why are you on a live song?

Music isn't perfection, it's an art, meaning there are NO mistakes.

[gabbynewneo]

D: They took a great song and just....murdered it. Brutally murdered it.

:P

[lannazazaz]

where did he make his mistake? i guess i didnt hear it cause im listening to the radio as well :\

[JitzchakRabin]

oh, shit ... thats fucking terrible!!!

[neotahngarth]

My God! That was terrible.

[gjghgdt]

its a garage rock band goddamn it. mistakes are good who cares about being clean and precise all the time aslong as it's good and it has passion! and i defy anyone to say they dont have passion

[sarsgarrs]

i like the recording from the CD better but its still pretty good it seems like he has gotten a lot better at live performances too

[sexiesthero]

I don't like it but to each his own....

[Ryschardio]

maybe the best version i've heard. tho i'm a huge stripes fan so that may be kinda biased lol

[goncack]

I don't think he effed up. He tends to change things up when playing live.

[ilovejackandmeg]

Wow. I love Jack's piano playing! He is sooo amazing at everything musical! Too bad though, I guess he decided he didn't want to sing the whole song. That's such a good one too.

[mesut123451]

he fu"Cks up around 50 seconds

[ilovejackandmeg]

I think it's okay that he messes up once in a while. It's hard playing so many songs from memory.

[mafiachild]

Every musician F's it up once in awhile, what makes a musician good is how they recover from a mess up.

[mesut123451]

i was just stating it...

[sarsgarrs]

its true he dose recover from his mistakes very well

[fibrglas]

He just doesn't have a clean cut style, everytime he plays it it sounds different.

[zagnash]

whats with the manaus after the song title?

[dmitrikatz]

Maneus is the name of the Brazilian city where WS played in 2005

[zagnash]

hahaha yeaa i just looked at the description

sorry