After college, Mahal moved to Los Angeles and formed the group Rising Sons with Ry Cooder in 1964. The group signed with Columbia Records and released one single and recorded another album which was not released by Columbia until 1992. Taj, frustrated with the mixed reaction to his music quit the group and went solo. Still with Columbia, he released a well received, self titled album in 1968, and based on its success released a second album, Natch'l Blues that same year. Two very different records - Giant Step, with his electric band, and solo De Ole Folks at Home - were released in 1969 together as a double album. This firmly established Taj as an American blues original. The double album The Real Thing, captured him live at this time, with a horn section.
He has received two Grammy awards in the category "Best Contemporary Blues Album", the first in 1997 for Señor Blues, and again in 2000 for Shoutin' in Key. He has performed on various film soundtracks including Sounder and Blues Brothers 2000, in which he also appeared.
Stagger Lee
Taj Mahal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the moon was yellow
And the leaves
Came tumbling down
I was standin' on the corner
When I heard my bull dog bark
He was barkin' at the two men
Stagger Lee and Billy
Two men who gambled late
Stagger Lee threw a seven
Billy swore that he threw an eight
Stagger Lee told Billy
I can't let you go with that
You have won all my money
And my brand new Stetson hat
Stagger Lee went home
And he got his forty four
Said, I'm gonna to the bar
Just to pay that debt I owe
Blew them, six
Stagger Lee, Stagger Lee
Stagger Lee went to the bar room
And he stood across the bar room door
Said, now, nobody move
Then he pulled his forty four
Stagger Lee, cried Billy
Ohh, please don't take my life
I've got three little children
And a very sickly wife
Well, Stagger Lee shot Billy
Ohh, he shot that poor boy so bad
So the bullet came through Billy
And it broke the bartender's glass
Hate that thing on most hands
Stagger Lee, Stagger Lee
Go, Stagger Lee, go, Stagger Lee
Go, Stagger Lee, go, Stagger Lee
Go, Stagger Lee
Go, Stagger Lee, go, Stagger Lee
Go, Stagger Lee, go, Stagger Lee
Go, Stagger Lee, go, Stagger Lee
Go, Stagger Lee
Go, Stagger Lee, go, Stagger Lee
Go, Stagger Lee, go, Stagger Lee
The opening lines of Taj Mahal's song "Stagger Lee" describes a clear night with a yellow moon and leaves falling. Suddenly, the sound of his bulldog barking alerts him to two men that are gambling in the dark. These two men are identified as Stagger Lee and Billy. As luck would have it, Stagger Lee throws a seven, but Billy claims to have thrown an eight. This causes a dispute which leads to Stagger Lee pulling his gun and plotting revenge. Stagger Lee later returns home to retrieve his firearm. He then heads to the bar where Billy is and shoots him, leaving him fatally wounded. Stagger Lee shows no remorse for his actions and instead sings a chant about himself, glorifying his actions as he leaves the bar.
Line by Line Meaning
The night was clear
The weather was pleasant that night
And the moon was yellow
The moon was full and bright
And the leaves came tumbling down
Autumn season was here as the leaves fell down
I was standin' on the corner
The artist was standing on a street corner
When I heard my bull dog bark
The artist's dog barked loudly
He was barkin' at the two men
There were two men nearby that the dog was barking at
Who were gamblin' in the dark
The two men were gambling in the darkness
Stagger Lee and Billy
The two men's names were Stagger Lee and Billy
Two men who gambled late
Stagger Lee and Billy were gambling late at night
Stagger Lee threw a seven
Stagger Lee rolled a 7 in the game
Billy swore that he threw an eight
Billy claimed he rolled an 8
Stagger Lee told Billy
Stagger Lee spoke to Billy
I can't let you go with that
Stagger Lee refused to let Billy leave with the money he won; Stagger Lee wanted to win it back
You have won all my money
Billy had won all of Stagger Lee's money in the game
And my brand new Stetson hat
Billy also won Stagger Lee's new hat
Stagger Lee went home
Stagger Lee left and went back to his residence
And he got his forty four
Stagger Lee retrieved his .44 caliber handgun
Said, I'm gonna to the bar
Stagger Lee announced he was going to the bar
Just to pay that debt I owe
He was determined to settle his debt with Billy
Blew them, six
Stagger Lee shot six rounds from his gun
Stagger Lee went to the bar room
Stagger Lee arrived at the bar
And he stood across the bar room door
Stagger Lee positioned himself at the entrance of the bar
Said, now, nobody move
Stagger Lee ordered everyone in the bar not to move
Then he pulled his forty four
Stagger Lee drew his gun
Stagger Lee, cried Billy
Billy pleaded with Stagger Lee
Ohh, please don't take my life
Billy begged Stagger Lee not to kill him
I've got three little children
Billy mentioned his three young children
And a very sickly wife
He also said he had a wife who was very ill
Well, Stagger Lee shot Billy
Stagger Lee took aim and fired his gun at Billy
Ohh, he shot that poor boy so bad
Stagger Lee fatally wounded Billy
So the bullet came through Billy
The bullet went through Billy's body
And it broke the bartender's glass
The bullet shattered a glass held by the bartender
Hate that thing on most hands
Unclear what this line means - could be a nonsensical filler or a phrase with intentional meaning
Go, Stagger Lee, go, Stagger Lee
People are urging Stagger Lee to leave the scene of the crime
Go, Stagger Lee
More urging for Stagger Lee to leave
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerome J. Garcia, Robert C. Hunter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Flap Jackson
This song is as classic Americana as it gets. What an amazing musician Taj is! His version is by far the best of all.
He’s a national treasure!
bottomendbliss
I love Taj Mahal but you cant compare this version to that of Mississippi John Hurt. This is a beautiful version but quite clunky compared to Hurts. Hurts version is head and and shoulders above any other recording. Hurts style is very difficult for anyone to get spot on. Still havnt heard anyone get it right. Check out the Coffee blues compilation on Youtube.
Felix Norman
this is why I have always loved "Blues", you get probably a real story all the time and great music!
Robert Berryman
Depends what you mean by “real”. The story is real but fictionalized, just like a Hollywood movie fictionalizes real events, and speaking of which I always wondered why no studio ever produced a picture about Lee Shelton (Stagger Lee) and Billy Lyons. Obviously it’s a compelling story, else we wouldn’t have so many different versions of it in song. It’s a little strange, I think, that none of the songs mention that the murder took place on Christmas Day. Taj Mahal and Mississippi John Hurt have the best blues versions, I think. For pop music, I think most people love Lloyd Price’s ‘Stagger Lee’, and I do too, but Tommy Roe’s mostly forgotten single from about 1972 is also worth mentioning.
But I guess I’m digressing, 😉. I take your point. Blues is the best genre for musical story-telling, I think.
mark1952able
Felix Norman; "A real story and great music"...............You know! Great version!!!!! Thanks for your love of the Blues....
20170712 112444
Still have this album on vinyl. Given to me as a gift many decades ago by my dad.
Jules
Good dad!
timmy lumsden
Me too mate but cassette..wish I had the vinyl
Dad Zor
Taj played my club, The Hearth, Pipersville, PA two times. He was my first "big" act that I ever booked. Quite a gentleman and he blew the house down.
Scotsman
I was on a back porch in north Carolina,just he and I ,he was playing Statesboro blues. Pretty surreal moment,for me,doubt he remembers it,haha