Cave Nick Stagalee Lyrics

Stagalee Lyrics

Three traditional versions of the song from Murder Ballads. Nick's version is
also available. Further details (and the actual book Nick edited from) are also
available. 

 

 Stagolee

 Bad man Stagalee when he bad,

 He bad wid a gun

 Stagalee, Stagalee --- you must-a been a sinner

 Ev'ry- Christmas eve they give Stagalee a dinner

 Bad man Stagalee, when he bad

 He bad wid a gun.

 

 

 Don't you remember you remember

 One dark stormy night

 Stagalee and Bill O. Lion

 Dey had dat noble fight.

 

 

 Bill O. Lion tole Stagalee

 Please don't take my life

 I got three little children

 And a dear lil' lovin'wife

 

 

 Stagalee told Billy O. Lion

 I don't care for your three lil' children

 Or even your lovin' wife

 You stole mah Stetson hat

 And I'm goin to take yo'life

 

 

 Stagalee pulled out his forty-four

 It went boom boom boom

 It wasn't long' fore Bill O. Lion

 WVere layin'on de flo'

 

 

 Stagalee's woman she went to her boss

 Said, "Please give me some change.

 Dey got my baby in de station house

 An'mah business mus'be'ranged. "

 

 

 Stagalee asked his woman

 "How much change has you got?"

 She run her han'in her stocking feet

 And pulled out a hundred spot.

 She had to get mo'money.

 

 

 From Southern Folk Ballads, McNeill Collected from Vera Hall, AL 1947

 

 

 Stagolee

 Stagolee was a bad man,

 Ev'rybody knows.

 Spent one hundred dollars

 Just to buy him a suit of dothes.

 

 He was a bad man

 That mean old Stagolee

 

 

 Stagolee shot Billy de Lyons

 What do you think about that?

 Shot him down in cold blood

 Because he stole his Stetson hat;

 

 

 He was a bad man

 That mean old Stagolee

 

 

 Billy de Lyons said, Stagolee

 Please don't take my life

 I've got two little babes

 And a darling, loving wife;

 

 

 You are a bad man

 You mean old Stagolee.

 

 

 What do I care about your two little babes,

 Your darling loving wife?,

 You done stole my Stetson hat

 I'm bound to take your life;

 

 

 He was a bad man,

 That mean old Stagolee.

 

 

 The judge said, Stagolee,

 What you doing in here?,

 You done shot Mr. Billy de Lyons,

 You going to die in the electric chair;

 

 

 He was a bad man

 That mean old Stagolee.

 

 

 Twelve o'clock they killed him

 Head reached up high

 Last thing that poor boy said,

 "My six-shooter never lied." 

 

 He was a bad man,

 That mean old Stagolee.

 

 

 Stagolee

 chorus: Stagolee, Stagolee, he's the meanest man in town

 When that boy starts gamblin', better lay your money down

 Down in New Orleans where they got that Lyon's Club

 Every step you step you're steppin' in Billy de Lyon's blood

 

 

 I remember one September, on a cold and stormy night

 Billy de Lyon and Stagolee, Lord, they had a great big fight

 Billy shot a seven, and Stack he said he'd pass

 Stack said to Billy de Lyon, "Brother,

 You done shot your last"

 

 

 The woman asked the sheriff, said "How can this be?

 You got all them bad men, but you can't get Stagolee"

 Deputies took their badges and they laid them on the shelf

 "If you want to get that bad man, you get him by yourself"

 

 

 Now send for the policemen, a hundred thousand come

 Loaded down with rifles and a great big Gatling gun

 On Friday we condemned him, the judge he lowered his head

 On Saturday we hanged him, I was glad to see him dead