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