Stagger Lee

by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

From the album: Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (1984-2014)

Track 20 of 84 on Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (1984-2014) (2017).

Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (1984-2014) cover art

Lyrics for Stagger Lee

It was back in '32, when times were hard He had a Colt .45 and a deck of cards Stagger Lee He wore rat-drawn shoes and an old Stetson hat Had a '28 Ford, he had payments on that Stagger Lee His woman threw him out in the ice and the snow And she told him, "Never ever come back no more" Stagger Lee So he walked through the rain, and he walked through the mud Till he came to a place called "The Bucket o' Blood" Stagger Lee He said, "Mr. Mother Fucker, you know who I am?" And the barkeep said, "No, and I don't give a good God-damn!" To Stagger Lee He said, "Well bartender, it's a plain to see I'm the bad motherfucker called Stagger Lee Mr. Stagger Lee!" Well, the barkeeper said, "Yeah, I've heard your name down the way And I kick motherfucking asses like you every day Mr. Stagger Lee" Well, those were the last words that the barkeep said 'Cause Stag put four holes in his motherfucking head Just then in came a broad called Nellie Brown Known to make more money than any bitch in town, yeah She struts across the bar, hitching up her skirt Over to Stagger Lee, she's starting to flirt Oh, Stagger Lee She saw the barkeep, said, "Oh God, he can't be dead" Stag said, "Well, just count the holes in the motherfucker's head" She said, "You ain't look like you scored in quite a time. Why not come to my bed? It won't cost you a dime Mr. Stagger Lee" "But there's something that I have to say before you begin You'll have to be gone before my man, Billy Dilly, comes in Mr. Stagger Lee" "I'll stay here till Billy Dilly comes in, till time comes to pass And furthermore I'll fuck Billy Dilly in his motherfucking ass" Said Stagger Lee "I'm a bad motherfucker, don't you know And I'll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get to one fat boy's asshole" Said Stagger Lee Just then Billy Dilly rolls in and said, "You must be the mad motherfucker called Stagger Lee" "I'm Stagger Lee" "Yeah, I'm Stagger Lee and you better get down on your knees And suck my dick, because if you don't you're gonna be dead" Said Stagger Lee Well, Billy Dilly dropped down and slobbered on his head And Stag filled him full of lead Oh, yeah

Listen On

More from Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (1984-2014)

  1. From Her To Eternity
  2. In The Ghetto
  3. Tupelo
  4. I'm Gonna Kill That Woman
  5. The Carny
  6. Sad Waters
  7. Stranger Than Kindness
  8. Scum
  9. The Mercy Seat
  10. Deanna
  11. Up Jumped The Devil
  12. The Weeping Song
  13. The Ship Song
  14. Papa Won't Leave You, Henry
  15. Straight To You
  16. Do You Love Me?
  17. Nobody's Baby Now
  18. Loverman
  19. Red Right Hand
  20. Stagger Lee
  21. Where The Wild Roses Grow
  22. Into My Arms
  23. People Ain't No Good
  24. Brompton Oratory
  25. (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?
  26. Come Into My Sleep
  27. Love Letter
  28. God Is In The House
  29. He Wants You
  30. Shoot Me Down
  31. Hiding All Away
  32. There She Goes, My Beautiful World
  33. Nature Boy
  34. Breathless
  35. Babe, You Turn Me On
  36. O Children
  37. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
  38. Night Of The Lotus Eaters
  39. We Call Upon The Author
  40. Jesus Of The Moon
  41. More News From Nowhere
  42. We No Who U R
  43. Jubilee Street
  44. Higgs Boson Blues
  45. Push The Sky Away
  46. Interview (Kippevel, Netherlands, 1988)
  47. Night Of The Lotus Eaters (Docks Des Suds, Marseilles, France, 2008; Live)
  48. Red Right Hand (Glastonbury Festival, UK, 1998; Live)
  49. The Weeping Song (Glasgow TV Studios, UK 2001; Live)
  50. Interview (New York, USA, 2013)
  51. Higgs Boson Blues (La Fabrique Studios, France, 2012)
  52. Interview (Stranger In A Strange Land Documentary, Berlin, Germany, 1987)
  53. From Her To Eternity (Perkins Palace, Pasadena, USA, 1984; Live)
  54. Love Letter (ABC Studios, Australia, 2001)
  55. Interview (Bish's Biz, Australia, 2013)
  56. Do You Love Me? (Boxed Set, Glasgow STV Studios, UK, 2001; Live)
  57. Interview (Boxed Set, Glasgow STV Studios, UK, 2001; Live)
  58. Into My Arms (Inmusic Festival, Zagreb, Croatia, 2008; Live)
  59. We Call Upon the Author (B1 Maximum Club, Moscow, Russia, 2009; Live)
  60. Interview (Ein Abend In Wien , Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1991)
  61. The Mercy Seat (Bizarre Festival, Germany, 1996; Live)
  62. Interview (Columbus, Ohio, USA, 1984)
  63. God Is In The House (Later With Jools Holland, London, UK, 2001)
  64. Interview (Bish's Biz, Australia, 2013)
  65. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (Globe Annexet, Stockholm, Sweden, 2008)
  66. Brompton Oratory (MTV Live'n'Loud, 1997)
  67. I'm Gonna Kill That Woman (Posthof, Linz, Austra, 1986)
  68. Jubilee Street (The Fonda Theatre, LA, USA, 2013)
  69. The Ship Song (Live At The Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1992)
  70. Interview (Lollapolooza, USA, 1994)
  71. Loverman (Bizarre Festival, Germany, 1996)
  72. Interview (Australia, 1998)
  73. In the Ghetto (Exit, Chicago, USA, 1984)
  74. Hiding All Away (The Abattoir Blues Tour, Brixton Academy, London, UK, 2004)
  75. Interview (Australia, 1992)
  76. Where The Wild Roses Grow (MTV Most Wanted, London, UK, 1995)
  77. Deanna (St. Luke's, London, UK, 1995)
  78. O Children (Le Trianon, Paris, France, 2013; Live)
  79. Interview (Festival Crazy Rock, Chile, 1996)
  80. Stagger Lee (The White Room, London, UK, 1996; Live)
  81. Interview (Austin City Limits, Texas, USA, 2014)
  82. Interview (Australia, 1985)
  83. Push The Sky Away (The Fonda Theatre, LA, USA, 2013; Live)
  84. There She Goes, My Beautiful World (The Abattoir Blues Tour, Brixton Academy, London, UK, 2004)