Stack-O-Lee - Original - Tennessee Ernie Ford

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