i was standin on the corner when i heard my bull dog bark he was barkin at the two men who were gamblin in the dark it was stagger lee and billy two men who gambled late stagger lee threw a seven and billy swore that he threw eight stagger lee told billy i can t let you go with that you have won all my money and my brand new stetson hat so stagger lee went home and he got his fouty four said i m goin to the barroom just to pay that debt i owe stagger lee went to the bar and he opened up the barroom door said nobody move now i ve got my forty four stagger lee shot billy he shot that poor boy so bad that a bullet went through billy and broke the bartender s glass go stagger lee go stagger lee go stagger lee please don t shot poor me