It was early, early one morning
When I heard my bulldog bark
Was Staggolee and Billy Lyons
Squabblin' in the dark.
Staggolee told Billy Lyons
'What do you think of that?
You win all my money, Lawd,
Now you spit in my Stetson hat.'
Staggolee, he went a-walkin'
In the red-hot, broilin' sun
Says, 'Bring me my six-shooter,
Lawd, I wants my forty-one.'
Staggolee, he went a-walkin'
Through the mud and through the sand
Says, 'I feel mistreated this morning
I could kill most any man.'
Billy Lyons told Staggolee
Please don't take my life
I've got three little helpless chillun
And one poor, pitiful wife.'
'Don't care nothin' about your chillun,
And nothing about your wife,
You done mistreated me, Billy
And I'm bound to take your life.'
He shot him three times in the shoulder
Lawd, and three times in the side
Well, the last time he shot him
'Cause Billy Lyons to die
Staggolee told Mrs Billy
'You don't believe your man is dead
Come into the bar-room
See the hole I shot in his head.'
The high sheriff told the deputies
Get your pistols and come with me
We got to go arrest that bad man
No mercy Staggolee.'
The deputies took their pistols
And they laid them on the shelf
If you want that bad man Staggolee
Have to 'rest him by yourself.'
The High sheriff ask the bartender,
'Who can that bad man be?'
'Speak softly,' said the bartender,
It's that bad man Staggolee.'
He touch Stack on the shoulder,
Say, 'Stack, why don't you run?'
'I don't run, white folks,
When I got my forty-one.'
The hangman put the mask on,
Tied his hands behind his back
Sprung the trap on Staggolee
But his neck refuse to crack
The Hangman, he got frightened
Said, 'Chief, you see how it be
I can't hang this man
Better set him free.'
Three hundred dollar funeral
Thousand dollar hearse
Satisfaction undertaker
Put Stack on down in the earth
Staggolee, he told the Devil
Says, 'Come on and have some fun
You stick me with your pitchfork
And I'll shoot you with my forty-one.'
Staggolee took the pitchfork
And he laid it on the shelf
Says, 'Stand back, Tom Devil, Lawd
I'm gonna rule Hell by myself.'
When I heard my bulldog bark
Was Staggolee and Billy Lyons
Squabblin' in the dark.
Staggolee told Billy Lyons
'What do you think of that?
You win all my money, Lawd,
Now you spit in my Stetson hat.'
Staggolee, he went a-walkin'
In the red-hot, broilin' sun
Says, 'Bring me my six-shooter,
Lawd, I wants my forty-one.'
Staggolee, he went a-walkin'
Through the mud and through the sand
Says, 'I feel mistreated this morning
I could kill most any man.'
Billy Lyons told Staggolee
Please don't take my life
I've got three little helpless chillun
And one poor, pitiful wife.'
'Don't care nothin' about your chillun,
And nothing about your wife,
You done mistreated me, Billy
And I'm bound to take your life.'
He shot him three times in the shoulder
Lawd, and three times in the side
Well, the last time he shot him
'Cause Billy Lyons to die
Staggolee told Mrs Billy
'You don't believe your man is dead
Come into the bar-room
See the hole I shot in his head.'
The high sheriff told the deputies
Get your pistols and come with me
We got to go arrest that bad man
No mercy Staggolee.'
The deputies took their pistols
And they laid them on the shelf
If you want that bad man Staggolee
Have to 'rest him by yourself.'
The High sheriff ask the bartender,
'Who can that bad man be?'
'Speak softly,' said the bartender,
It's that bad man Staggolee.'
He touch Stack on the shoulder,
Say, 'Stack, why don't you run?'
'I don't run, white folks,
When I got my forty-one.'
The hangman put the mask on,
Tied his hands behind his back
Sprung the trap on Staggolee
But his neck refuse to crack
The Hangman, he got frightened
Said, 'Chief, you see how it be
I can't hang this man
Better set him free.'
Three hundred dollar funeral
Thousand dollar hearse
Satisfaction undertaker
Put Stack on down in the earth
Staggolee, he told the Devil
Says, 'Come on and have some fun
You stick me with your pitchfork
And I'll shoot you with my forty-one.'
Staggolee took the pitchfork
And he laid it on the shelf
Says, 'Stand back, Tom Devil, Lawd
I'm gonna rule Hell by myself.'