the night was clear
and the moon was yellow
and the leaves came tumbling down
i was standing on the corner
when i heard my bulldog bark
he was barking at the two men
who were gambling in the dark
it was stagger lee and billy
two men who gambled late
stagger lee threw seven
billy swore that he threw eight
stagger lee told billy
i can’t let you go with that
you have won all my money
and my brand new stetson hat
stagger lee started off
goin down that railroad track
he said i can’t get you billy
but don’t be here when i come back
go on stagger lee
stagger lee went home
and he got his 44
said i’m going to the bar room
just to pay that debt i owe
stagger lee went to the bar room
and he stood across the bar room door
said now nobody move
and he pulled his 44
stagger lee cried billy
oh please don’t take my life
i got three little children
and a very sickly wife
stagger lee shot billy
oh he shot that poor boy so bad
till the bullet came through billy
and it broke the bartender’s glass
now look out stagg come on
Artist: Lloyd Price
Year: 1959
Decade: 50s
Language: en
Word Count: 121