Stagger Lee
Phil Lesh Ft. John Scofield Lyrics
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Stagger Lee shot Billy DeLions
And he blew that poor boy down.
Do you know what he shot him for?
What do you make of that?
Cause Billy DeLions threw the lucky dice
Won Stagger Lee's Stetson hat.
You arrest the girls for turning tricks
But you're scared of Stagger Lee.
Stagger Lee is a madman and he shot my Billy D.
Bayo go get him or give the job to me.
Delia DeLions, dear sweet Delia-D
How the hell can I arrest him? He's twice as big as me.
Well don't ask me to go downtown, I won't come back alive (no more).
Not only is that mother big but he packs a .45 (four).
Bayo, Delia said, just give me a gun
he shot my Billy dead now I'm gonna see him hung.
She went into the DeLion's club through Billy DeLions 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
Blew the smoke off her revolver, had him dragged to city hall
Bayo, Bayo, 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
A three-piece band on the corner played "Near My God to Thee"
But Delia whistled a different tune, what tune could it be?
The song that woman sung was "Look Out Stagger Lee".
The song that Delia sung was "Look Out Stagger Lee".
The lyrics to Phil Lesh Ft. John Scofield's song Stagger Lee tells a story of a criminal named Stagger Lee who shot a man named Billy DeLions on Christmas Eve in 1948. The reason for the shooting was because Billy won Stagger Lee's Stetson hat by rolling lucky dice. The song raises questions about the morality of Stagger Lee's actions and the inability of the law enforcement to arrest him. Delia, Billy's wife, decides to take matters into her own hands and seeks revenge by shooting Stagger Lee in the genitals at a bar. She then has him dragged to city hall and demands that he be hung for the murder of Billy. Delia's act of revenge is seen as justifiable and highlights the idea of vigilante justice in the absence of a fair and just legal system.
The song is based on a real-life event that took place in St. Louis in 1895, where a man named "Stag" Lee Shelton shot and killed his acquaintance William Lyons over a dispute about a hat.
The lyrics to the song have been covered by various artists, including The Grateful Dead, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, and Dr. John.
The song has roots in African American folk music and has been interpreted as a commentary on black masculinity and violence.
The song was included in the soundtrack of the 1994 film "Natural Born Killers."
The lyrics of the song have been analyzed by many scholars as a symbol of African American resistance to oppression and violent resistance to racism.
The melody of the song comes from a traditional African-American folk song called "Stack O' Lee Blues" which dates back to the early 1900s.
The song has been adapted into various forms of popular culture, including a ballet, a video game, and a comic book.
The song has been covered by artists in various musical genres, including blues, rock, and reggae.
The song has been included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll."
The exact chords for this version of Stagger Lee are unclear, as the song has been covered multiple times with various interpretations of the chords.
Line by Line Meaning
1948, Xmas eve, with a full moon over town
It was the Christmas eve of 1948 with bright moonlight illuminated across the town.
Stagger Lee shot Billy DeLions
Stagger Lee shot and killed Billy DeLions.
And he blew that poor boy down.
Stagger Lee shot Billy DeLions and killed him instantly.
Do you know what he shot him for?
Do you have any idea why Stagger Lee shot Billy DeLions?
What do you make of that?
What is your interpretation of the reason behind Stagger Lee shooting Billy DeLions?
Cause Billy DeLions threw the lucky dice
Billy DeLions won Stagger Lee's Stetson hat by throwing the lucky dice.
Won Stagger Lee's Stetson hat.
Billy DeLions won Stagger Lee's Stetson hat by rolling the dice.
Bayo, Bayo, tell me how can this be?
Bayo, can you explain how it is possible that you arrest women for prostitution but are afraid to confront Stagger Lee.
You arrest the girls for turning tricks
Bayo arrests women for engaging in prostitution.
But you're scared of Stagger Lee.
Bayo is afraid of Stagger Lee.
Stagger Lee is a madman and he shot my Billy D.
Stagger Lee is a dangerous man who shot and killed Delia's husband, Billy DeLions.
Bayo go get him or give the job to me.
Bayo, either you go after Stagger Lee or let Delia take matters into her own hands.
Delia DeLions, dear sweet Delia-D
Delia DeLions, Billy's wife, is addressed affectionately as 'Delia-D'.
How the hell can I arrest him? He's twice as big as me.
Bayo refuses to arrest Stagger Lee as he is too physically intimidating.
Well don't ask me to go downtown, I won't come back alive (no more).
Bayo refuses to take Stagger Lee to the authorities as he fears for his life.
Not only is that mother big but he packs a .45 (four).
Stagger Lee is not only big in size but is also armed with a .45 caliber gun.
Bayo, Delia said, just give me a gun
Delia requests Bayo for a gun so that she can take revenge on Stagger Lee.
he shot my Billy dead now I'm gonna see him hung.
Delia wants to hang Stagger Lee as he killed her husband Billy DeLions.
She went into the DeLion's club through Billy DeLions blood
Delia entered the DeLion's club through the blood of her dead husband Billy DeLions.
Stepped up to Stagger Lee at the bar,
Delia confronted Stagger Lee at the bar.
Said, "Buy me a gin fizz, love."
Delia asked Stagger Lee to buy her a gin fizz.
As Stagger Lee lit a cigarette she shot him in the balls
Delia shot Stagger Lee in the testicles as he was lighting a cigarette.
Blew the smoke off her revolver, had him dragged to city hall
Delia blew the smoke off her gun and had Stagger Lee taken to the city hall.
Bayo, Bayo, see you hang him high
Bayo is commanded to hang Stagger Lee high.
He shot my Billy dead and now he's got to die.
Stagger Lee has to pay for killing Billy DeLions.
Delia went a walking down on Singapore Street
Delia walked down Singapore Street.
A three-piece band on the corner played "Near My God to Thee"
A band played 'Near My God to Thee' at a nearby corner.
But Delia whistled a different tune, what tune could it be?
Delia whistled a different song that caught people's attention.
The song that woman sung was "Look Out Stagger Lee".
Delia's song was titled 'Look Out Stagger Lee' and it was about warning people of his dangerous nature.
The song that Delia sung was "Look Out Stagger Lee".
Delia sang a song called 'Look Out Stagger Lee' to warn people about him.
Contributed by Joshua N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.