Stagalee Lyrics - Nick Cave & The Bad Seed

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