Lyrics Stack-O-Lee - Original - Tennessee Ernie Ford

Stack-O-Lee - Original

Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee he was a gambling man
As everybody oughta know
Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee got his Stetson hat
And a blazing forty four
I was hanging 'round the levee
Along about the break of day
When I hear two gentlemen arguing
I listened to the words they said
It was Stack-o-Lee and Billy
A-gambling awful late
Stack-o-Lee he throwed a seven
And Billy said he throwed an eight
Stack-o-Lee he looked at Billy
Said you can’t get away with that
'Taint enough you win my money
But you win my lucky Stetson hat
Stack-o-Lee run home to his woman
Said fetch me my forty four
Gonna pick so Billy’s wagon
So he don’t gab around no more
Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee he was a gambling man
As everybody oughta know
Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee got his Stetson hat
And a blazing forty four
Stack-o-Lee found poor Billy
Billy pleaded for his life
Have some mercy on my children
Have mercy on my darling wife
Stack-o-Lee shot poor old Billy
He plugged him in the side
Then he kept on pumping bullets
When poor old billy died
When they called old Stack next mornin'
They strung him up a tree
And the women dressed in mourning
And cried for Stack-o-Lee
Had a hundred dollar funeral
With preaching Parson Brown
Then the undertaker got him
And stuck him in the ground
Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee he was a gambling man
As everybody oughta know
Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee got his Stetson hat
And a blazing forty four
When the devil see Stack comin'
He holler 'Now listen to me
Hide the children and the money
'Cause Stack-O-Lee is worse than me'
Stack-O-Lee grabbed hold of the devil
And threw him up on the shelf
Said 'Your workin' days are over
I’m a-gonna run the place myself'
Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee he was a gambling man
As everybody oughta know
Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee got his Stetson hat
And a blazing forty four
Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee, Stack-o-Lee
Ain’t gonna gamble no more