He was best known as a pioneer of the acoustic blues revival, but his work ranged from old English ballads to Bertolt Brecht, rock, New Orleans jazz, and swing. He was a pioneer of instrumental ragtime guitar, as well as an early supporter of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, among many others. Van Ronk was very influential on the music scene in New York City in the 1960s.
His professional musical career started when he moved from Brooklyn to Queens in 1951 and started doing pick-up work in traditional jazz outfits.
Van Ronk died of colorectal cancer (colon cancer) in 2002.
Stackerlee
Dave Van Ronk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On one Friday night,
Stack O'Lee and Billy Lyon,
Had a great fight,
When you lose your money,
Learn to lose.
Billy Lyon shot six bits,
Stackerlee out with a forty-five,
Said you've done shot your last,
When you lose your money,
Learn to lose.
Lord, a woman came a running,
Fell down on her knees,
Crying, O Mister Stakerlee,
Don't shoot my brother please,
When you lose your money,
Learn to lose.
Now you talking about some gambler,
Oughta seen Richard Lee,
Shot one thousand dollars,
And come out on a three,
When you lose your money,
Learn to lose.
Lord the judge told the sheriff,
We want him dead or alive,
How in the world can we bring him in,
When he totes a forty-five,
When you lose your money,
Learn to lose.
Lord the woman told the judge,
My husband's name Jack Shelf,
Wanna 'rest poor Stackerlee,
Better go somewheres else,
When you lose your money,
Learn to lose.
The song Stackerlee is a traditional American folk tune that tells the story of a violent conflict between two men, Stackerlee and Billy Lyon, over a gambling debt. The song opens with the singer remembering a fateful September night when the two men got into a fight. Stackerlee was armed with a gun and ultimately shot Billy Lyon. The main refrain of the song, "When you lose your money, learn to lose," suggests that gambling is a risky business and that those who participate should be prepared to accept the consequences of their actions.
The second verse introduces a new character, a woman who pleads with Stackerlee not to shoot her brother. This moment humanizes Stackerlee, making it clear that he is not just a ruthless gambler but also a person with relationships and emotions. The third verse recounts the daring gambling exploits of another gambler, Richard Lee, who managed to shoot $1,000 while only risking $3.
The fourth verse introduces the authorities, who seek to bring Stackerlee in for the murder of Billy Lyon. The chorus reminds us that Stackerlee's fate is ultimately linked to his gambling addiction. The final verse is a plea by a woman to spare Stackerlee's life because her husband, whose name is Jack Shelf, could be wrongly implicated in the death if Stackerlee is killed.
Overall, Stackerlee is a vivid snapshot of a bygone era when gambling was a dangerous and often deadly pursuit. The song paints a picture of a society where the law was unable to contain the lure of easy money and where desperate people took drastic measures to protect their winnings.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember one September,
I recall a particular September,
On one Friday night,
On a Friday evening,
Stack O'Lee and Billy Lyon,
Both Stack O'Lee and Billy Lyon,
Had a great fight,
Engaged in a serious altercation,
When you lose your money,
In situations where one loses their money,
Learn to lose.
They should accept their loss and move on.
Billy Lyon shot six bits,
Billy shot six bits
Stack he bet he passed,
Stack made a bet and won
Stackerlee out with a forty-five,
Stack pulled out a 45 handgun
Said you've done shot your last,
Told Billy Lyon he has made his last shot.
Lord, a woman came a running,
A lady came in a hurry,
Fell down on her knees,
And knelt on the ground,
Crying, O Mister Stakerlee,
Begging mr. Stackerlee,
Don't shoot my brother please,
Not to shoot her brother.
Now you talking about some gambler,
Speaking of a gambler,
Oughta seen Richard Lee,
One should have seen Richard Lee
Shot one thousand dollars,
who wasted a thousand dollars
And come out on a three,
but got back only three
Lord the judge told the sheriff,
The judge ordered the sheriff,
We want him dead or alive,
To capture him, dead or alive,
How in the world can we bring him in,
They wondered how to capture him
When he totes a forty-five,
since he always carries a 45.
Lord the woman told the judge,
The lady told the judge,
My husband's name Jack Shelf,
Her husband's name is Jack Shelf,
Wanna 'rest poor Stackerlee,
She doesn't want them to bring Stackerlee in.
Better go somewheres else,
They should search elsewhere.
Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.