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 and 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 And he knocked up on his woman's door He said wake up little Bertha baby And 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' And she knew he wouldn't go for that Stagolee went back on the corner And stood up in the barroom door And he said don't nobody move 'Cause I got me my forty-four Stagolee cried Billy And he shot the poor boy so fast The bullet went through Billy And 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 And a poor little old sickly wife Stagolee told Billy Yeah I know you got a cute little boy and girl If you want to see your family billy You'll have to meet 'em in another world