I was standing on a corner When I heard my bull dog bark He was barking at two men Who were gambling outside in the dark I tell you they was Stagger Lee and Billy Two men who gambled late Stagger Lee threw a seven Billy swore that he threw eight Ooh... (Oh, Stagger Lee) (8 x's) Ooh...I tell ya, Stagger Lee he told Billy 'I can't let you go with that You won all o' my money And a brand new Cadillac' Stagger Lee started off walking Down that old railroad track He turned and told Billy 'Don't be here when I come back' Oh, oh... (Oh, Stagger Lee) (6 x's) Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Then old Stagger Lee, he went home And he got his forty-four He said, 'I'm going down to the barroom To pay that debt I owe' And Stagger Lee went in the barroom And he stared across the barroom floor He said, 'Don't nobody move' And he pulled out his forty-four Then Billy...Billy cried, 'Stag...Oh, please, Stag Please don't take my life I got three young children And a very sickly wife' Oh, but oh (Oh, Stagger Lee) Stagger Lee...He shot Billy (Oh, Stagger Lee) Oh, shot that poor boy so bad (Oh, Stagger Lee, oh, Stagger Lee) The bullet went through Billy (Oh, Stagger Lee) And broke the bartender's glass (Oh, Stagger Lee, oh, Stagger Lee) Oh...Stagger Lee...