The night was clear And the moon was yellow And the leaves came tumbling down I was standin' on the corner When I heard my bulldog 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 seven Billy swore that he threw eight Stagger Lee told Billy I can't let you go with that Cause you done won all my money And my brand new Stetson hat Stagger Lee went home Got his forty-four He said I'm goin' to the barroom To pay that debt I owe Oh yeah Stagger Lee went to the barroom And he stood crossways in the door He said now don't nobody move And he pulled his forty-four Stagger Lee cried Billy Oh please don't take my life I've got three little children And a very sickly wife Stagger Lee shot Billy Oh he shot that poor boy so bad The bullet went through Billy And broke the bartender's glass