The night was clear
and the moon
was yellow
And the leaves
came tumbling down
I was standing
on a corner
when I heard
my bulldog bark
He was barking
at two men
who were gambling
in the dark
oh yeah
It was Stagger Lee
and Billy
two men
who gambled late
Stagger Lee
threw seven
Billy swore that
he threw eight
Oh yeah
Stagger Lee
cried Billy
"Oh you know
I ain't going for that"
"You have won
all my money
and my brand new
Cadillac"
Now look here now
Stagger Lee
went home
And he brought back
a long forty-four
he said
"I've got to pay Billy
A little debt I owe him"
Listen let me tell ya
Stagger Lee
went to the bar room
and he stood on
the bar room floor
He said "Nobody move"
and he pulled his
forty-four
Yes he did y'all
"Stagger Lee"
cried Billy
"Oh please don't
take my life"
"I've got three
little children
and a very sickly wife"
Oh yeah
Stagger Lee
shot Billy
Oh he shot that
poor boy so bad
That the bullet went
through Billy
and broke the
bartender's glass
yes it did y'all
Well Billy's gone on
home now
but one thing about it
it will teach the rest
of you gamblers a lesson
Billy's gone on home
Left three children
to weep and moan
Billy's gone on home
oh yeah
Gone on home