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Stagalee
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Nick Cave & The Bad Seed
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1
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.
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Stagolee
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Bad man Stagalee when he bad,
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He bad wid a gun
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Stagalee, Stagalee --- you must-a been a sinner
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Ev'ry- Christmas eve they give Stagalee a dinner
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Bad man Stagalee, when he bad
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He bad wid a gun.
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Don't you remember you remember
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One dark stormy night
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Stagalee and Bill O. Lion
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Dey had dat noble fight.
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Bill O. Lion tole Stagalee
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Please don't take my life
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I got three little children
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And a dear lil' lovin'wife
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Stagalee told Billy O. Lion
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I don't care for your three lil' children
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Or even your lovin' wife
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You stole mah Stetson hat
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And I'm goin to take yo'life
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Stagalee pulled out his forty-four
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It went boom boom boom
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It wasn't long' fore Bill O. Lion
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WVere layin'on de flo'
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Stagalee's woman she went to her boss
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Said, "Please give me some change.
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Dey got my baby in de station house
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An'mah business mus'be'ranged. "
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Stagalee asked his woman
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"How much change has you got?"
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She run her han'in her stocking feet
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And pulled out a hundred spot.
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She had to get mo'money.
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From Southern Folk Ballads, McNeill Collected from Vera Hall, AL 1947
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Stagolee
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Stagolee was a bad man,
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Ev'rybody knows.
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Spent one hundred dollars
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Just to buy him a suit of dothes.
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He was a bad man
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That mean old Stagolee
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Stagolee shot Billy de Lyons
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What do you think about that?
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Shot him down in cold blood
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Because he stole his Stetson hat;
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He was a bad man
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That mean old Stagolee
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Billy de Lyons said, Stagolee
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Please don't take my life
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I've got two little babes
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And a darling, loving wife;
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You are a bad man
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You mean old Stagolee.
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What do I care about your two little babes,
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Your darling loving wife?,
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You done stole my Stetson hat
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I'm bound to take your life;
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He was a bad man,
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That mean old Stagolee.
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The judge said, Stagolee,
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What you doing in here?,
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You done shot Mr. Billy de Lyons,
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You going to die in the electric chair;
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He was a bad man
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That mean old Stagolee.
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Twelve o'clock they killed him
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Head reached up high
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Last thing that poor boy said,
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"My six-shooter never lied."
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He was a bad man,
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That mean old Stagolee.
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Stagolee
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chorus: Stagolee, Stagolee, he's the meanest man in town
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When that boy starts gamblin', better lay your money down
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Down in New Orleans where they got that Lyon's Club
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Every step you step you're steppin' in Billy de Lyon's blood
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I remember one September, on a cold and stormy night
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Billy de Lyon and Stagolee, Lord, they had a great big fight
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Billy shot a seven, and Stack he said he'd pass
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Stack said to Billy de Lyon, "Brother,
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You done shot your last"
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The woman asked the sheriff, said "How can this be?
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You got all them bad men, but you can't get Stagolee"
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Deputies took their badges and they laid them on the shelf
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"If you want to get that bad man, you get him by yourself"
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Now send for the policemen, a hundred thousand come
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Loaded down with rifles and a great big Gatling gun
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On Friday we condemned him, the judge he lowered his head
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On Saturday we hanged him, I was glad to see him dead
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Henry Lee ft...
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