the night was clear and the moon was yellow and the leaves came tumblin down i was standing on a corner when i heard my bull dog bark he was barking at two men who were gambling in the dark it was stagger lee and billy two men who gambled late stagger lee threw a seven billy swore that he threw eight stagger lee he told billy i can t let you go with that you won all o my money and my brand new stetson hat stagger lee started off walking down that old railroad track he turned and told billy don t be here when i come back 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 bridge go stagger lee stagger lee went to the barroom walked across that barroom floor he said now nobody move and he pulled out his forty four oh stagger lee cried billy please don t take my life i got three little children and a very sickly wife stagger lee shot billy oh he shot that poor boy so bad till the bullet went through billy and it broke the bartender s glass