It was early early one mornin'
Boys I heard that fool dog bark
He was barkin' at the two men
Who were gamblin in the dark
It was Stagolee & Billy Lion
Boys, they were gamblin that early day
Yeah, they tossed up that seven
Billy Lion told him the easy way
Stagolee lost all his money
Lost his new cadilac
He said I believe your cheatin'
Don’t be here when I get back
Stagolee went home
& he knocked up on his woman’s door
He said wake up little Bertha baby
& hand me my forty-four
You know Bertha rose out of bed screamin
She was lookin him dead smack in the eye
She said come on in honey
I can see some poor man’s gonna die
Then Stagolee told Bertha
That he had lost his new cadilic
But he believed Billy was cheatin
& she knew he wouldn’t go for that
Stagolee went back on the corner
& stood up in the barroom door
& he said don’t nobody move
Cuz I got me my forty-four
Stagolee cried Billy
& he shot the poor boy so fast
The bullet went through Billy
& it broke the bartenders glass
Then Billy Lion started screamin
I heard him say Stagolee don’t take my life
You know I got two little children
& a poor little old sickly wife
Stagolee told Billy
Yeah I know you got a cute little boy & girl
If you want to see your family billy
You’ll have to meet 'em in another world