C         Em           F        C
The night was dark and the moon was yellow
       Dm7         G        C      G
And the leaves came tumblin' down

[Verse 1]
     C                             F
I was standin' on the corner when I heard my bull dog bark
      C                              G               C      G
He was barkin' at the two men who was gamblin' in the dark
      C                          F
It was Stagger Lee and Billy, two men who gambled late
       C                        G                   C       G
Stagger Lee threw a seven, Billy swore that he threw eight
        C                                 F
'Oh now, Stagger Lee' cried Billy 'I can't let you go with that'
         C                       G                 C        G
'You have won all my money and my brand-new Stetson hat'
       C                               F
Oh now, Stagger Lee went home, he got afraid his .44
            C                             G               C     G
He said 'I'm goin' to the ballroom just to pay that debt I owe'

[Instrumental]
C  F  C  G  C  G
C  F  C  G  C  G

[Verse 2]
       C                                       F
Oh now, Stagger Lee went to the ballroom and he stood behind the door
       C                     G          C      G
He said 'Nobody moves' and he pulled his .44
          C                             F
'Yeah now, Stagger Lee' cried Billy 'oh, please, don't take my life'
         C                           G           C       G
'I've got three little children and a very sickly wife'
         C                                      F
Yeah now, Stagger Lee shot Billy and you know he shot that poor boy so bad
      C                             G                     C     G
That a bullet went through Billy and broke the bartender's bar

[Outro]
C  F  C  G  C  G
C  F  C  G  C  G
C  F  C  G  C  G
C  F  C  G  C