^EIt was early early one mornin' Boys I ^Aheard that fool dog bark He was ^Ebarkin' at the two men Who were ^B7gamblin in the ^Edark ^{B7 E}It was Stagolee & Billy Lion Boys, they were ^Agamblin that early day Yeah, they ^Etossed up that seven Billy ^B7Lion told him the easy ^Eway ^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