I was standin on the corner
When I heard my bull dog bark.
He was barkin at the two men
Who were gamblin 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.
tagger lee, said billy,
I cant let you go with that.
You have won all my money,
And my brand-new stetson hat.
tagger lee went home
nd he got his .44.
He said, Im goin to the ballroom
Just to pay that debt I owe.
go, stagger lee
Stagger lee went to the ballroom
And he strolled across the ballroom floor.
He said you did me wrong, billy.
And he pulled his .44.
Stagger lee, said billy,
Oh, please dont take my life!
Ive got three hungry children,
And a very sickly wife.
tagger lee shot billy
Oh, he shot that poor boy so hard
That a bullet went through billy
And broke the bartenders bar.
Go, stagger lee, go, stagger lee!
Go, stagger lee, go, stagger lee!