| It was early early one mornin'
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| Boys I heard that fool dog bark
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| He was barkin' at the two men
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| Who were gamblin in the dark
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| It was Stagolee & Billy Lion
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| Boys, they were gamblin that early day
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| Yeah, they tossed up that seven
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| Billy Lion told him the easy way
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| Stagolee lost all his money
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| Lost his new cadilac
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| He said I believe your cheatin'
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| Don’t be here when I get back
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| Stagolee went home
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| & he knocked up on his woman’s door
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| He said wake up little Bertha baby
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| & hand me my forty-four
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| You know Bertha rose out of bed screamin
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| She was lookin him dead smack in the eye
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| She said come on in honey
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| I can see some poor man’s gonna die
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| Then Stagolee told Bertha
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| That he had lost his new cadilic
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| But he believed Billy was cheatin
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| & she knew he wouldn’t go for that
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| Stagolee went back on the corner
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| & stood up in the barroom door
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| & he said don’t nobody move
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| Cuz I got me my forty-four
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| Stagolee cried Billy
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| & he shot the poor boy so fast
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| The bullet went through Billy
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| & it broke the bartenders glass
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| Then Billy Lion started screamin
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| I heard him say Stagolee don’t take my life
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| You know I got two little children
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| & a poor little old sickly wife
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| Stagolee told Billy
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| Yeah I know you got a cute little boy & girl
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| If you want to see your family billy
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| You’ll have to meet 'em in another world |