Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Stagalee Lyrics
Three traditional versions of the song from murder ballads. nicks version is also available. further details (and the actual book nick edited from) are also available.StagoleeBad man stagalee when he bad,He bad wid a gunStagalee, stagalee --- you must-a been a sinnerEvry- christmas eve they give stagalee a dinnerBad man stagalee, when he badHe bad wid a gun.Dont you remember you rememberOne dark stormy nightStagalee and bill o. lionDey had dat noble fight.Bill o. lion tole stagaleePlease dont take my lifeI got three little childrenAnd a dear lil lovinwifeStagalee told billy o. lionI dont care for your three lil childrenOr even your lovin wifeYou stole mah stetson hatAnd Im goin to take yolifeStagalee pulled out his forty-fourIt went boom boom boomIt wasnt long fore bill o. lionWvere layinon de floStagalees woman she went to her bossSaid, please give me some change.Dey got my baby in de station houseAnmah business musberanged.Stagalee asked his womanHow much change has you got?She run her hanin her stocking feetAnd pulled out a hundred spot.She had to get momoney.From southern folk ballads, mcneill collected from vera hall, al 1947StagoleeStagolee was a bad man,Evrybody knows.Spent one hundred dollarsJust to buy him a suit of dothes.He was a bad manThat mean old stagoleeStagolee shot billy de lyonsWhat do you think about that?Shot him down in cold bloodBecause he stole his stetson hat;He was a bad manThat mean old stagoleeBilly de lyons said, stagoleePlease dont take my lifeIve got two little babesAnd a darling, loving wife;You are a bad manYou mean old stagolee.What do I care about your two little babes,Your darling loving wife? ,You done stole my stetson hatIm 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 manThat mean old stagolee.Twelve oclock they killed himHead reached up highLast thing that poor boy said,My six-shooter never lied.He was a bad man,That mean old stagolee.StagoleeChorus: stagolee, stagolee, hes the meanest man in townWhen that boy starts gamblin, better lay your money downDown in new orleans where they got that lyons clubEvery step you step youre steppin in billy de lyons bloodI remember one september, on a cold and stormy nightBilly de lyon and stagolee, lord, they had a great big fightBilly shot a seven, and stack he said hed passStack said to billy de lyon, brother,You done shot your lastThe woman asked the sheriff, said how can this be?You got all them bad men, but you cant get stagoleeDeputies took their badges and they laid them on the shelfIf you want to get that bad man, you get him by yourselfNow send for the policemen, a hundred thousand comeLoaded down with rifles and a great big gatling gunOn friday we condemned him, the judge he lowered his headOn saturday we hanged him, I was glad to see him dead
