It was back in '32 when times were hard
He had a Colt .45 and a deck of cards
Stagger Lee
He wore rat-drawn shoes and an old stetson hat
Had a '28 Ford, had payments on that
Stagger Lee
His woman threw him out in the ice and snow
And told him, "Never ever come back no more"
Stagger Lee
So he walked through the rain and he walked through the mud
Till he came to a place called The Bucket Of Blood
Stagger Lee
He said "Mr Motherfucker, you know who I am"
The barkeeper said, "No, and I don't give a good goddamn"
To Stagger Lee
He said, "Well bartender, it's plain to see
I'm that bad motherfucker called Stagger Lee"
Mr. Stagger Lee
Barkeep said, "Yeah, I've heard your name down the way
And I kick motherfucking asses like you every day"
Mr Stagger Lee
Well those were the last words that the barkeep said
'Cause Stag put four holes in his motherfucking head
Just then in came a broad called Nellie Brown
Was known to make more money than any bitch in town
She struts across the bar, hitching up her skirt
Over to Stagger Lee, she starts to flirt
With Stagger Lee
She saw the barkeep, said, "O God, he can't be dead!"
Stag said, "Well, just count the holes in the motherfucker's head"
She said, "You ain't look like you scored in quite a time.
Why not come to my pad? It won't cost you a dime"
Mr. Stagger Lee
"But there's something I have to say before you begin
You'll have to be gone before my man Billy Dilly comes in,
Mr. Stagger Lee"
"I'll stay here till Billy comes in, till time comes to pass
And furthermore I'll fuck Billy in his motherfucking ass"
Said Stagger Lee
"I'm a bad motherfucker, don't you know
And I'll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get one fat boy's asshole"
Said Stagger Lee
Just then Billy Dilly rolls in and he says, "You must be
That bad motherfucker called Stagger Lee"
Stagger Lee
"Yeah, I'm Stagger Lee and you better get down on your knees
And suck my dick, because If you don't you're gonna be dead"
Said Stagger Lee
Billy dropped down and slobbered on his head
And Stag filled him full of lead
Oh yeah.

I was standing on a corner
When I heard my bull dog bark
He was barking at two men
Who were gambling outside in the dark

I tell you they was Stagger Lee and Billy
Two men who gambled late
Stagger Lee threw a seven
Billy swore that he threw eight

Ooh...
(Oh, Stagger Lee) (8 x's)

Ooh...I tell ya, Stagger Lee he told Billy
'I can't let you go with that
You won all o' my money
And a brand new Cadillac'

Stagger Lee started off walking
Down that old railroad track
He turned and told Billy
'Don't be here when I come back'

Oh, oh...
(Oh, Stagger Lee) (6 x's)
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Then old Stagger Lee, he went home
And he got his forty-four
He said, 'I'm going down to the barroom
To pay that debt I owe'

And Stagger Lee went in the barroom
And he stared across the barroom floor
He said, 'Don't nobody move'
And he pulled out his forty-four

Then Billy...Billy cried, 'Stag...Oh, please, Stag
Please don't take my life
I got three young children
And a very sickly wife'

Oh, but oh (Oh, Stagger Lee)
Stagger Lee...He shot Billy (Oh, Stagger Lee)
Oh, shot that poor boy so bad (Oh, Stagger Lee, oh, Stagger Lee)
The bullet went through Billy (Oh, Stagger Lee)
And broke the bartender's glass (Oh, Stagger Lee, oh, Stagger Lee)

Oh...Stagger Lee...

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 a 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 went home
And he got his 44
Said,`I`m going to the bar room
Just to pay that debt that I owe`

[SOLO]

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 And Billy,
Oh please don`t take my life
I got three little children
And a very sickly wife`

Stagger Lee shot Billy
Boy, he shot that poor boy so bad
`Till the bullet came thru Billy
And it broke the bartender`s glass'

Look out Stagger lee................FADE

It was back in '32 when times were hard
He had a Colt .45 and a deck of cards
Stagger Lee

He wore rat-drawn shoes and an old stetson hat
Had a '28 Ford, had payments on that
Stagger Lee

His woman threw him out in the ice and snow
And told him, Never ever come back no more
Stagger Lee

So he walked through the rain and he walked through the mud
'Til he came to a place called The Bucket Of Blood
Stagger Lee

He said Mr Motherfucker, you know who I am
The barkeeper said, No, and I don't give a good goddamn
To Stagger Lee

He said, Well bartender, it's plain to see
I'm that bad motherfucker called Stagger Lee
Mr Stagger Lee

Barkeep said, Yeah, I've heard your name down the way
And I kick motherfucking asses like you every day
Mr Stagger Lee

Well those were the last words that the barkeep said
'Cause Stag put four holes in his motherfucking head

Just then in came a broad called Nellie Brown
Was known to make more money than any bitch in town

She struts across the bar, hitching up her skirt
Over to Stagger Lee, she starts to flirt
With Stagger Lee

She saw the barkeep, said, Oh God, he can't be dead!
Stag said, Well, just count the holes in the motherfucker's head

She said, You ain't look like you scored in quite a time.
Why not come to my pad? It won't cost you a dime
Mr Stagger Lee

But there's something I have to say before you begin
You'll have to be gone before my man Billy Dilly comes in,
Mr Stagger Lee

I'll stay here till Billy comes in, 'til time comes to pass
And furthermore I'll fuck Billy in his motherfucking ass
Said Stagger Lee

I'm a bad motherfucker, don't you know
And I'll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get one fat boy's asshole
Said Stagger Lee

Just then Billy Dilly rolls in and he says, You must be
That bad motherfucker called Stagger Lee
Stagger Lee

Yeah, I'm Stagger Lee and you better get down on your knees
And suck my dick, because If you don't you're gonna be dead
Said Stagger Lee

Billy dropped down and slobbered on his head
And Stag filled him full of lead
Oh yeah.

1948, Xmas eve, with a full moon over town
Stagger Lee shot Billy DeLions
And he blew that poor boy down.
Do you know what he shot him for?
What do you make of that?
Cause Billy DeLions threw the lucky dice
Won Stagger Lee's Stetson hat.

Bayo, Bayo, tell me how can this be?
You arrest the girls for turning tricks
But you're scared of Stagger Lee.
Stagger Lee is a madman and he shot my Billy D.
Bayo go get him or give the job to me.

Delia DeLions, dear sweet Delia-D
How the hell can I arrest him? He's twice as big as me.
Well don't ask me to go downtown, I won't come back alive [no more].
Not only is that mother big but he packs a .45 [four].

Bayo, Delia said, just give me a gun
he shot my Billy dead now I'm gonna see him hung.
She went into the DeLion's club through Billy DeLions blood
Stepped up to Stagger Lee at the bar,
Said, "Buy me a gin fizz, love."

As Stagger Lee lit a cigarette she shot him in the balls
Blew the smoke off her revolver, had him dragged to city hall
Bayo, Bayo, see you hang him high
He shot my Billy dead and now he's got to die.

Delia went a walking down on Singapore Street
A three-piece band on the corner played "Near My God to Thee"
But Delia whistled a different tune, what tune could it be?

The song that woman sung was "Look Out Stagger Lee".
The song that Delia sung was "Look Out Stagger Lee".

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
And he was barkin' up at two men
Who were gamblin' 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 get away with that,
Well you have won all my money
And my brand new Stetson hat
Stagger Lee he ran home
Went and he got his forty-four
Said I'm goin' to the barroom
Just to pay that debt I owe

Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Said I'm goin' to the barroom
Just to pay that debt I owe

Stagger Lee went to the barroom
He stood across the barroom door
He said Now nobody move
And he pulled his forty-four
Stagger Lee cried Billy,
Oh please don't you take my life.
I got me three little children
And a very sickly wife.

Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
I got me 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 went right through
The bartender's glass
While I was standing on the corner
When I heard my bulldog bark
And he was barkin' up at two men
Who were gamblin' in the dark

Go Baby
Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
And he was barkin' up at two men
Who were gamblin' in the dark

Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Go Stagger Lee
Said I'm goin' to the barroom
Just to pay that debt I owe

My name is Stagger Lee
and I'm walking through the ice and snow
and my girl threw me out last week
and I'm fucking broke
nothing but the starter in my pocket and my Colt .45
don't look at me the wrong way
'cause I got nothin' to lose tonight

Walk into JD's and put a dollar down
turn the dollar into a few
I start drinkin' and I turn around
'cause I feel a pair of eyes burning into the back of my neck
and he's whisperin' to the barkeep
the God-damned fool won't stop staring at me
so I shoot up from my seat and press the cold steel to his head
and said don't you know who the fuck I am?

he said Stagger Lee
please don't take my life
I've got a kid back home and I've got a wife
he said please Stagger, please
I'm a friend, not a foe
but your girl's with Billy at the Flamingo
I just thought you should know

I pistol-whip him in the teeth and walk outside
steal the first fast car I see
and as my blood starts to boil I start to take a little ride
I leave the car running
pull down the brim of my black Stetson hat
I look around and I see no witness
one last drink from my silver flask

I kick open the door
see the bodies inter-twined
see the fear in their eyes
I pull my Colt .45
and I feel divine
whoaaaa!

Stagger Lee
you're a bad, bad man
Oh, Stagger Lee
you're going straight to hell

Stagger Lee (Stagger Lee)
you're a bad, bad man
Oh, Stagger Lee
you're going straight to hell