Stagger Lee
Lloyd Price (1959)
Also sung by:  Fats Domino, Wilson Pickett, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds,
Huey Lewis and the News, Taj Mahal, Mickey Gilly, Terry Dean,
Grateful Dead, Bobby Rydell, Johnny Rivers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie McCoy
 
Midi 1(C90)*     Midi 2(Bb140)

Midi 3(C90)*-harp
Tabbed by Mark Purintun 9-06  (history)
For Diatonic harmonica

 

The problem with this song:  different singers use different lyrics.

There are two basic patterns here as noted in the 1st and 2nd stanzas.

 


Lead in...
 RRRr  6      7    7    -7   6   6     -6   -6  6  5   4   4      -4    -4    4  3     
|     The | night was clear and the | moon was yellow and the | leaves came tumblin' |

    4  R 8r 8    8----> 8  Rr  8  8   8     8 R -8 r7   -8--->-8  -8  7   -6-->
| down.  I was stan |  din'   on the cor | ner when I heard | my bulldog bark. |
-> R  7r -6   8--> 8    8  8   8   7   7    7   -7--> -6    6 r-7  -7   7---->
|    He was bar | kin' at the two men who were gam | blin' in' in the dark. |

---->    RRr 8  8    8---> 8   8 Rr  -8  7 -8   RRr8 -8  7  -8 -8 r  -8  7   -6---->
|      |    It was Stag | ger Lee   and Billy, |  tw wo men wh ho | gambled late. |
-> Rr  7  7   8--->  8   8  8 7    7 -7     -6    6 r-7   -7    7----->
|    Stagger Lee | threw a seven, Billy | swore that he threw eight. |
 
---->    RRr 8  8   8   RRr  8   8   8     8 R  -8 r  7    -8--> -8 -8   7   -6---->
|      |   Stagger Lee |    he tol' Bil | ly,  "I   can't let | you go with that, |
-> R  7 r -6   8---> 8   8  8  8  7   7  7 -7-->-6 6 r -7  -7  7-------->
|    you have won | all my money an' my brand | ne ew Stetson hat". |       |

 RRr  8  8   8--->8 8 Rr  -8   7   -8   RRr 8 -8   7    -8  -8 r-8   7  -6---->
|   Stagger Le |  e e,    he went home |   and he ah | got his four ty four, |
->Rr  7   7    8---> 8  8   8  8   7  7    -7---> -6     6 r -7  -7 7------->
|    He said "I'm | go in' to the barroom just | t'pay that debt I owe." |      |

8 measure instrumental here..
| RRRR | RRRR | RRRR | RRRR | RRRR | RRRR | RRRR | RRRR |


 RRr  8  8   8   RRr  8   8  8       8   R -8 r 7   -8--->  -8  -8   7   -6---->
|   Stagger Lee |   went to the | barroom and  he stood |   a cross the door. |
-> R 7r -6     8--> 8  8 8 8  7   7   7  -7--> -6  6 r -7-7   7------>
|   He said, "no | ah body move" and he pul | led his forty-four. |      |

 RRr    8  8   8----> 8 8 Rr   -8  7 -8   RRr   8    -8    7    -8 -8 r -8  7  -6---->
|    "Stagger Lee", | e e    said Billy. |    "Oh, please do | n't ta   ke my life". |
-> Rr  7    7    8----> 8  8    8   7   7  7-->-6 6 r -7 -7   7------->
|    "I've got three | little children and a | very  sickly wife". |     |

 RRr  8  8   8   RRr  8    8   8     8 Rr -8  7  -8---> -8   -8   -8  7  -6--->
|   Stagger Lee |     he shot Bil | ly.   Oh he shot | that poor boy so bad, |
 R 7 r -6 8-->   8     8     8  8  7   7 7 7 -7   -6  6 r  -7  -7    7------>
| the bullet | went through Billy and it broke | the bar  tender's glass. |     |
Original fades out here...

 RRr  8  8   8--->  8   8 Rr -8  7  -8   RRr 8  -8   7        -8   -8r -8  7   -6
|   Stagger Lee | went to   the barroom |   and he stood | 'cross the barroom door. |
 Rr  7   7     8--> 8  8  8    7   7   -7-> -6  6 r -7-7   7------>
|   He said, "no | body move" and he pul | led his forty-four. |      |

RRr  8  8   8   RRr  8   8   8     8 Rr -8  7  -8---> -8   -8   -8  7  -6--->
|   Stagger Lee |   he shot Bil | ly.   Oh he shot | that poor boy so bad, |
 R 7 r -6 8-->   8     8     8  8  7   7 7 7 -7   -6  6 r  -7  -7    7------>
| the bullet | went through Billy and it broke | the bar  tender's glass. |     |

 

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