[E]It was early early one mornin'
Boys I [A]heard that fool dog bark
He was [E]barkin' at the two men
Who were [B7]gamblin in the [E]dark
[B7]
[E]It was Stagolee & Billy Lion
Boys, they were [A]gamblin that early day
Yeah, they [E]tossed up that seven
Billy [B7]Lion told him the easy [E]way
[B7]
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
& he knocked up on his woman's door
He said wake up little Bertha baby
& 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
& she knew he wouldn't go for that
Stagolee went back on the corner
& stood up in the barroom door
& he said don't nobody move
Cuz I got me my forty-four
Stagolee cried Billy
& he shot the poor boy so fast
The bullet went through Billy
& 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
& a poor little old sickly wife
Stagolee told Billy
Yeah I know you got a cute little boy & girl
If you want to see your family billy
You'll have to meet 'em in another world
