Roe was raised in Atlanta, Georgia where he attended Brown High School and was part of band. Greatly influenced by the sounds of the late Buddy Holly, Tommy Roe developed a unique style that, combined with his All-American clean-cut image, made him a popular musical performer throughout the 1960s. In April of 1961 he became a father to daughter Cynthia; he has 3 grandchildren.
Roe had a Billboard No.1 hit record hit in the United States and in Australia in 1962 with the song, "Sheila" and the following year scored two Top 10 hits with "Everybody" and the critically acclaimed "The Folk Singer" written by Merle Kilgore. Following the enormously successful tour of the United Kingdom by friend Roy Orbison, Tommy Roe toured there and then moved to England where he lived for several years. In 1965, he and Jerry Lee Lewis combined with Orbison to create an LP for the Pickwick International label. During the 1960s, he had several more top forty hits. In 1969, his song "Dizzy" went to No.1 on the UK Singles Chart as well as to Billboard's No.1 in the USA. His final Top 40 single was "Jam Up and Jelly Tight" in 1970.
A resident of Beverly Hills, California, Roe is married to Josette Banzet, an actress from France who won a Golden Globe Award for best supporting for her performance in the 1976 television mini-series, Rich Man, Poor Man. His daughter Cynthia still resides in Georgia with her family.
In 1986, Tommy Roe was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Although his style of music declined in popularity with the 1970s mass market, Tommy Roe maintained a following and continued to perform at a variety of concert venues, sometimes with sixties nostalgia rock and rollers such as Freddy Cannon and Bobby Vee.
Partial discography (singles)
* "Sheila" (1962)
* "Everybody" (1963)
* "The Folk Singer" (1963)
* "Sweet Pea" (1966)
* "Hooray for Hazel" (1966)
* "Dizzy" (1969)
* "Jack And Jill" (1969)
* "Jam Up and Jelly Tight" (1970)
Stagger Lee
Tommy Roe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the leaves came tumbling down
I was standing on the corner when I heard my bulldog bark
He was barkin' at the two men who were gamblin' in the dark
It was Stagger Lee and Billy, two men who gambled late
Stagger Lee threw seven, Billy swore that he threw eight
"You have won all my money and my brand new stetson hat"
Stagger Lee started off goin' down that railroad track
He said "I can't get you Billy but don't be here when I come back"
Stagger Lee went home and he got his forty-four
Said "I'm goin' to the barroom just to pay that debt I owe"
Stagger Lee went to the barroom and he stood across the barroom door
He said "Nobody move" and he pulled his forty-four
Stagger Lee shot Billy, oh he shot that poor boy so bad
Till the bullet came through Billy and it broke the bartender's glass
The lyrics to the song "Stagger Lee" by Tommy Roe tell the story of a confrontation between two men engaged in a gambling match. The night was clear and the moon was yellow, and the leaves were falling, creating an eerie atmosphere. The storyteller was standing on the corner when he heard his bulldog bark. The dog was barking at two men who were gambling in the dark. These two men were Stagger Lee and Billy. Stagger Lee won the bet, but Billy claimed he had thrown eight while Stagger Lee threw seven.
Stagger Lee, who had already lost all his money and his newly bought stetson hat, couldn't let Billy walk away with all of it. In frustration, Stagger Lee decided to leave and went down the railroad track. But, before he left, he warned Billy not to be there when he returns. Upon his return, he went home and got his weapon - a forty-four, which he was going to use to pay his debts. Stagger Lee went to the barroom where Billy was and pulled his forty-four. He shot Billy so fatally that a bullet broke the bartender's glass.
The lyrics display the violent consequences of greed and the willingness to gamble, showing how a petty gambling conflict eventually escalated to murder. The song became popular due to its infectious groove and its memorable melody. The phrase 'Stagger Lee' has since become synonymous with the archetype of the ruthless gambling winner who won't hesitate to use violence.
Line by Line Meaning
The night was clear and the moon was yellow
The weather was pleasant, and the moon was shining brightly.
And the leaves came tumbling down
It was fall, and the leaves were falling from the trees.
I was standing on the corner when I heard my bulldog bark
The singer heard his dog bark while he was standing on the street corner.
He was barkin' at the two men who were gamblin' in the dark
The dog was barking at two men who were gambling in the dark.
It was Stagger Lee and Billy, two men who gambled late
The two men gambling were named Stagger Lee and Billy, and they were gambling late at night.
Stagger Lee threw seven, Billy swore that he threw eight
Stagger Lee rolled a seven in the game, but Billy claimed he rolled an eight.
Stagger Lee told Billy, "I can't let you go with that"
Stagger Lee told Billy that he couldn't let him keep the money and hat he won.
"You have won all my money and my brand new stetson hat"
Billy won all of Stagger Lee's money and his new Stetson hat.
Stagger Lee started off goin' down that railroad track
Stagger Lee left the gambling spot and headed down the railroad track.
He said "I can't get you Billy but don't be here when I come back"
Stagger Lee warned Billy not to be there when he returned.
Stagger Lee went home and he got his forty-four
Stagger Lee retrieved his pistol from his home.
Said "I'm goin' to the barroom just to pay that debt I owe"
Stagger Lee said he was going to the bar to pay the debt he owed Billy.
Stagger Lee went to the barroom and he stood across the barroom door
Stagger Lee positioned himself across the door of the bar.
He said "Nobody move" and he pulled his forty-four
Stagger Lee told everyone in the bar not to move and brandished his gun.
Stagger Lee shot Billy, oh he shot that poor boy so bad
Stagger Lee shot Billy and badly wounded him.
Till the bullet came through Billy and it broke the bartender's glass
The bullet went through Billy and shattered the bartender's glass.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerome J. Garcia, Robert C. Hunter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ronspeer
I had not heard this version. I like better how how the guitar is more prevalent in the mix than in the single version but I like his vocals better on the single. Now combine the two and wow!
@tryton111
Great comment. Thank you my friend.
@ellencocke1394
I remember this song ❤❤❤thanks for posting
@TigerRogers0660
Really good song Victor - should've been a bigger hit! Tiger.
@tryton111
Thanks, Tiger - and for your help with Badfinger, too.
@cajunrandy2143
i LIKE!!!!!!! it
@musiccollector
Move over, Lloyd Price! Tommy's is the best version of the song, but this is not the original single version. :-( Released on August 7, 1971, reaching # 25 on October 16.
@tryton111
Thanks for the additional info, Harry
@otaku1524
Dropped the line in the single version about Billy pleading, don't take my life he had 3 hungry children and a very sickly wife. A bit stark take there.