Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia
Based on the traditional song "Stagger Lee", "Stagolee" or "Stack O'Lee."
Robert Hunter wrote a version that he performed solo,
and Jerry Garcia subsequently re-ordered the lyrics and rewrote the music
for the Grateful Dead's version. More recently Bob Weir has also been performing some of the older traditional
versions with Ratdog.
This is the version as performed by the Grateful Dead::
Nineteen forty, Xmas eve, with the full moon over town (note 1) (note 2)Notes
Stagger Lee shot Billy DeLyon and he blew that poor boy down
Do you know what he shot him for, what do you make of that
'Cause Billy DeLyon threw lucky dice, won Stagger Lee's stetson hat
Baio, Baio, tell me how can this be
You go arrest the girls for turning tricks but you're scared of Stagger Lee
Stagger Lee is a mad man, and he shot my Billy dead
Baio go get him, or give the job to me
Delia, Delia, dear sweet Delia D
How the hell can I arrest him, when he's twice as big as me
Well don't ask me to go downtown, I wouldn't come back alive
Not only is that mother big, he packs a forty five
Baio, Delia said, just give me a gun
He shot my Billy dead and now I'm gonna see him hung
She waded to DeLyon's club through Billy DeLyon's blood
Stepped up to Stagger Lee at the bar, said buy me a gin fizz love
As Stagger Lee lit a cigarette, she shot him in the balls (note 3)
Blew the smoke off her revolver, had him dragged to City Hall
Baio, Baio, see you hang him high
He shot my Billy dead and now he's got to die
Delia went a-walking down on Singapore Street
Three piece band on the corner played 'nearer my God to thee'
But Delia whistled a different tune, what tune could it be
The song that woman sang was look out Stagger Lee
The song that Delia sang was look out Stagger Lee
Nineteen forty, Xmas eve, with the full moon over townNotes
When Stagger Lee shot Billy DeLyon just blew that poor boy down
He's a mad man
Do you know what he shot him for, what do you make of that?
Billy DeLyon threw lucky dice, and won Stagger Lee's stetson hat
He's a mad man
Baio, Baio, tell me how can this be
You arrest the girls for turning tricks but you're scared of Stagger Lee
He's a mad man
Delia DeLyon, dear sweet Delia D
How the hell can I arrest him, sugar, when he's twice as big as me
And he's a mad man
Don't ask me to go downtown, when I couldn't come back alive (note 4)
Not only is that mother big, but he packs a forty five
He's a mad man
Delia said "Baio, just give me a gun
You know he shot my sweet Billy dead and I'm gonna see him hung"
He's a mad man
Delia went walking down on Singapore Street
A two piece band on the corner played 'nearer my God to thee' (note 5)
Hey a mad man
Here comes Delia D
She waded to DeLyon's club through Billy DeLyon's blood
Walked up to Stagger Lee at the bar, said buy me a gin fizz love
Mad man
Delia, diddle-de-dee
Billy DeLyon and Stagger Lee
Delia, diddle-de-dee
Billy DeLyon and Stagger Lee
As Stagger Lee lit a cigarette, she shot him in the balls
Blew the smoke of her revolver, had him dragged to City Hall
Mad man
She said bye-bye Baio, see you hang him high
You know he shot my Billy DeDylon dead and I want to see him die
He's a mad man
Delia, diddle-de-dee
Billy DeLyon and Stagger Lee
Nineteen twenty, Xmas eve, with a full moon over town (note 6)
When Stagger Lee shot Billy DeLyon just blew that poor boy down
He was a mad man
That old Stagger Lee
Don't ask me to go downtown, when I couldn't come back no more(5) Hunter definitely sings "a two-piece band" but it became a "three-piece band" in the Dead's version
Not only is that mother big, but he packs a forty four
Grateful Dead Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | ||||
studio 1978 | Shakedown Street | ||||
15 Sep 1978 | Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978 (note 6) | ||||
21 Oct 1978 | Road Trips Volume 1, Number 4 ("From Egypt With Love") | ||||
18 Nov 1978 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2013) | ||||
31 Dec 1978 | The Closing Of Winterland (DVD & CD) | ||||
27 Oct 1979 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
5 Nov 1979 | Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/5/79 | ||||
1 Nov 1985 | Dick's Picks Vol 21 | ||||
27 Mar 1988 | Download Series Vol 5 | ||||
4 Jul 1989 | Truckin' Up To Buffalo (DVD & CD soundtrack) | ||||
8 Oct 1989 | Warlocks Box | ||||
26 Oct 1989 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
25 Deb 1990 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2021) | ||||
18 Mar 1990 | Spring 1990 (The Other One) | ||||
16 Sep 1990 | Dick's Picks 9 | ||||
16 Jun 1991 | Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991 Boxed Set | ||||
1 Jul 1992 | (official YouTube video only) | ||||
10 Mar 1993 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2022) | ||||
Robert Hunter Recordings | |||||
1980 | Jack O'Roses | Robert Hunter | |||
Other Recordings | |||||
Date | Recorded By | Album | |||
2015 | It's A Hand-Me-Down | David Gans | |||
2015 | Songs Of Their Own | To Lay It Down |
Police officerBob Weir's second version was, I believe, based on the 1959 hit for Lloyd Price, which gave writing credits to Harold Logan and Lloyd Price. This was also the version played by the Healy-Treece Band in the early 1980s with Bill Kreutzmann on drums, and by Touloos Ta Truck in 1976 with Phil Lesh on bass.
How can it be?
You can arrest everybody
But cruel Stagger Lee
That bad man
Oh cruel Stagger Lee
Billy DeLyon told Stagger Lee
Please don't take my life
I got two little babes
And a darling, loving wife
That bad man
Oh cruel Stagger Lee
What do I care about your two little babes
And a darling loving wife?
You done stole my Stetson hat
I'm bound to take your life
That bad man
Oh cruel Stagger Lee
Boom boom, boom boom
Went a fourty-four
Well when I spied Billy DeLyon
He's lying down on the floor
That bad man
Oh cruel Stagger Lee
Gentlemens of the jury
What you think of that?
Stagger Lee killed Billy DeLyon
'Bout a five dollar Stetson hat.
That bad man
Oh cruel Stagger Lee
Standing on the gallows
Head way up high,
At twelve o'clock, they killed him
We was all glad to see him die
That bad man
Oh cruel Stagger Lee
The night was clearFor interest, see also Bob Dylan's, Josh Ritter's and Nick Cave's versions.
And the moon was yellow
And the leaves came tumbling down
I was standing on the corner
When I heard my bulldog bark
It was barking at the two men who were gambling
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
You have won all my money and my brand new
Stetson hat
Stagger Lee went home
And he got his forty four
Said, I'm going to the bar-room just pay that
Debt I owe
Stagger Lee went to the bar-room
Billy stood across the bar-room door
Said, now nobody move, and he pulled his
Forty four
Stagger Lee shot Billy
Oh 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 came through Billy and it broke the
Bar-tender's glass