"The Unfortunate Rake" is part of a very large family of similar songs. Some of the members of this family are:     "Pills of White Mercury",     "The Young Trooper Cut Down in His Prime",     "The Young Girl Cut Down In Her Prime",     "The Young Sailor Cut Down in His Prime",     "St. James's Hospital",     "Noo I'm a Young Man Cut Down in My Prime",     "Wrapped in Red Flannels",     "The Dying Cowboy" and     "The Streets of Laredo". The British version centers on a victim of syphilis. He tells of his demise, either through promiscuity or a false hearted lover and how he wishes to be buried. The American version of "St. James’ Infirmary" is along the same theme, but the American cowboy is suffering from a gun shot in the chest. The other songs of this family included in this collection are:     The Young Sailor Cut Down in His Prime,     The Dying Cowboy and     The Streets of Laredo.