Chords for Mississippi John Hurt - The Ballad Of Stagger Lee
Tempo:
95.65 bpm
Chords used:
D
G
A
Am
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[D]
Stagger Lee was a desperator.
And you know, Stagger Lee, him and his partner,
they robbed a coal mine one time.
Get me right.
[A]
[D] All right, they go down the coal mine.
The boys had got paid off having a little game,
money all over the floor.
Stagger Lee and his partner got themselves placed.
[A] They says, hey, boys.
[D] They said, yeah.
They said, well, that fool Stagger Lee, then, must walk in here.
One guy, Billington Line, had stole his Stetson hat.
And he thought everything was all right.
Didn't make any difference if it was Billington Line.
He picked up a .44.
He says, ah.
Says, Stagger Lee's gun won't shoot a bit harder than this.
[A] [D] About this time, Stagger Lee's partner knocked his hat off with a bullet.
See, he got his nerve.
He dropped his gun.
[A] This [D] guy, he has a wife and two [A] children.
He come in begging, [D] please don't take my life.
I [A] got two little babies and a [D] darling, loving wife.
Oh, yeah?
Another guy went to take it up, you see?
See what [A] I mean?
[D]
He rushed for his gun.
Bullet centered him right between the eyes.
[A] [D] All right, that settled him.
And when they got the money and was going home, Stag's partner was crying.
He says, oh, you got weak.
He [Am] said, no, [D] I'm not weak.
Yes, you are.
Says, you're crying because you killed that man.
He [A] said, no.
[D] He said, I'm not crying because I killed that man.
He said, [A] yes, you [D] are.
He said, well, what are you crying about?
He said, I missed my shot.
He hit him between the eyes.
And he intended to hit him right in that right eye.
[G]
[D] [A]
[D] Oh, listen, officer, how can it be?
[G] You can arrest everybody, but cruel Stagger [D] Lee, [A] that bad man.
[D] Oh, cruel Stagger Lee.
[G] [D]
[A] [G] [D]
Oh, Stagger Lee, please don't take my life.
[G] Says, I got two little babies, darling, [D] loving wife, that [A] bad man.
Oh, [G] cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A]
[D] What I care about your two little babies, darling, loving wife.
[G] Says, you done stole my stuff and hat.
I'm bound [D] to take your life.
He's [A] a bad man.
[G] Oh, cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[G] [D] [A]
[G] [D] Boom, boom, boom, boom.
What a 44.
[G] What a spy.
Pope is lying.
He's lying down in [D] the floor, [A] that bad man.
[D] Oh, cruel Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A] [D]
Gentlemen of the jury, what you think of that?
[G] Says, Stagger Lee, you'll be right.
Bought a [D] $5 stuffing hat.
He's [A] a bad man.
Oh, [G] cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A]
[G] [D]
[G]
[D] [A] [G] [D]
Standing on the gallows, Stagger Lee did curse.
[G] The judge said, let's kill him.
Oh, he killed [D] some of us.
[A] He's a bad man.
Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A]
[D] Boom, boom, boom, [G] boom.
Boom, boom, boom,
[D] boom.
[A] Boom, [D] boom, boom, boom.
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
[G] [D] [A]
[D] Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Gentlemen of the jury, what you think of that?
[G] Says, Stagger Lee, he can't do the line.
Bought a $5 [D] stuffing hat.
[A] He's a bad man.
Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
Standing on the gallows, head well high.
At [G] 12 o'clock, they killed him.
They's all [D] glad to see him die.
[A] He's a bad man.
[G] Oh, cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[G] [D]
[A] [G] [D] Standing on the gallows, head well high.
[G]
[D] [A]
[G] [D] Said, oh, police and officer, how can it be?
[G] You can arrest everybody, but cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[A] That bad man.
[G] Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A]
[G] [D]
Stagger Lee was a desperator.
And you know, Stagger Lee, him and his partner,
they robbed a coal mine one time.
Get me right.
[A]
[D] All right, they go down the coal mine.
The boys had got paid off having a little game,
money all over the floor.
Stagger Lee and his partner got themselves placed.
[A] They says, hey, boys.
[D] They said, yeah.
They said, well, that fool Stagger Lee, then, must walk in here.
One guy, Billington Line, had stole his Stetson hat.
And he thought everything was all right.
Didn't make any difference if it was Billington Line.
He picked up a .44.
He says, ah.
Says, Stagger Lee's gun won't shoot a bit harder than this.
[A] [D] About this time, Stagger Lee's partner knocked his hat off with a bullet.
See, he got his nerve.
He dropped his gun.
[A] This [D] guy, he has a wife and two [A] children.
He come in begging, [D] please don't take my life.
I [A] got two little babies and a [D] darling, loving wife.
Oh, yeah?
Another guy went to take it up, you see?
See what [A] I mean?
[D]
He rushed for his gun.
Bullet centered him right between the eyes.
[A] [D] All right, that settled him.
And when they got the money and was going home, Stag's partner was crying.
He says, oh, you got weak.
He [Am] said, no, [D] I'm not weak.
Yes, you are.
Says, you're crying because you killed that man.
He [A] said, no.
[D] He said, I'm not crying because I killed that man.
He said, [A] yes, you [D] are.
He said, well, what are you crying about?
He said, I missed my shot.
He hit him between the eyes.
And he intended to hit him right in that right eye.
[G]
[D] [A]
[D] Oh, listen, officer, how can it be?
[G] You can arrest everybody, but cruel Stagger [D] Lee, [A] that bad man.
[D] Oh, cruel Stagger Lee.
[G] [D]
[A] [G] [D]
Oh, Stagger Lee, please don't take my life.
[G] Says, I got two little babies, darling, [D] loving wife, that [A] bad man.
Oh, [G] cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A]
[D] What I care about your two little babies, darling, loving wife.
[G] Says, you done stole my stuff and hat.
I'm bound [D] to take your life.
He's [A] a bad man.
[G] Oh, cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[G] [D] [A]
[G] [D] Boom, boom, boom, boom.
What a 44.
[G] What a spy.
Pope is lying.
He's lying down in [D] the floor, [A] that bad man.
[D] Oh, cruel Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A] [D]
Gentlemen of the jury, what you think of that?
[G] Says, Stagger Lee, you'll be right.
Bought a [D] $5 stuffing hat.
He's [A] a bad man.
Oh, [G] cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A]
[G] [D]
[G]
[D] [A] [G] [D]
Standing on the gallows, Stagger Lee did curse.
[G] The judge said, let's kill him.
Oh, he killed [D] some of us.
[A] He's a bad man.
Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A]
[D] Boom, boom, boom, [G] boom.
Boom, boom, boom,
[D] boom.
[A] Boom, [D] boom, boom, boom.
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
[G] [D] [A]
[D] Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Gentlemen of the jury, what you think of that?
[G] Says, Stagger Lee, he can't do the line.
Bought a $5 [D] stuffing hat.
[A] He's a bad man.
Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
Standing on the gallows, head well high.
At [G] 12 o'clock, they killed him.
They's all [D] glad to see him die.
[A] He's a bad man.
[G] Oh, cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[G] [D]
[A] [G] [D] Standing on the gallows, head well high.
[G]
[D] [A]
[G] [D] Said, oh, police and officer, how can it be?
[G] You can arrest everybody, but cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[A] That bad man.
[G] Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
[G]
[D] [A]
[G] [D]
Key:
D
G
A
Am
D
G
A
Am
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Stagger Lee was _ _ _ a desperator. _ _ _ _
And you know, Stagger Lee, _ him and his partner,
they robbed a coal mine one time.
Get me right.
_ [A] _ _
[D] _ _ _ All right, they go down the coal mine.
The boys had got paid off having a little game,
money all over the floor.
_ Stagger Lee and his partner got themselves placed.
[A] They says, hey, boys.
[D] They said, yeah.
_ They said, well, that fool Stagger Lee, then, must walk in here.
One guy, Billington Line, had stole his Stetson hat.
And he thought everything was all right.
Didn't make any difference if it was Billington Line.
_ He picked up a .44.
He says, ah.
_ Says, Stagger Lee's gun won't shoot a bit harder than this.
[A] _ [D] About this time, Stagger Lee's partner knocked his hat off with a bullet.
See, he got his nerve.
He dropped his gun.
[A] This [D] guy, he has a wife and two [A] children.
He come in begging, [D] please don't take my life.
I [A] got two little babies and a [D] darling, loving wife.
_ Oh, yeah?
_ Another guy went to take it up, you see?
See what [A] I mean?
_ [D] _ _ _
He rushed for his gun.
Bullet centered him right between the eyes.
[A] _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ All right, that settled him.
And when they got the money and was going home, _ _ _ Stag's partner was crying.
He says, oh, you got weak. _
_ He [Am] said, no, [D] I'm not weak.
Yes, you are.
Says, you're crying because you killed that man.
He [A] said, no. _
[D] He said, I'm not crying because I killed that man.
He said, [A] yes, you [D] are.
He said, well, what are you crying about?
He said, I missed my shot. _ _
_ _ _ He hit him between the eyes.
And he intended to hit him right in that right eye. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ Oh, listen, officer, how can it be?
[G] You can arrest everybody, but cruel Stagger [D] Lee, [A] that bad man.
[D] Oh, cruel Stagger Lee. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [D] _
_ [A] _ _ _ [G] _ [D] _ _
Oh, Stagger Lee, please don't take my life.
[G] Says, I got two little babies, darling, [D] loving wife, that [A] bad man.
Oh, [G] cruel [D] Stagger Lee. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ What I care about your two little babies, darling, loving wife.
[G] Says, you done stole my stuff and hat.
I'm bound [D] to take your life.
He's [A] a bad man.
[G] Oh, cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ [G] _ [D] _ Boom, boom, boom, boom.
What a 44.
[G] What a spy.
Pope is lying.
He's lying down in [D] the floor, [A] that bad man.
[D] Oh, cruel Stagger Lee. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
Gentlemen of the jury, what you think of that?
[G] Says, Stagger Lee, you'll be right.
Bought a [D] $5 stuffing hat.
He's [A] a bad man.
Oh, [G] cruel [D] Stagger Lee. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _
[G] _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ [A] _ _ _ [G] _ [D] _ _
Standing on the gallows, Stagger Lee did curse.
[G] The judge said, let's kill him.
Oh, he killed [D] some of us.
[A] He's a bad man.
Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ Boom, boom, boom, _ [G] boom.
Boom, boom, boom, _ _
[D] boom.
[A] Boom, _ _ [D] boom, boom, boom.
Boom, boom, boom, boom. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Gentlemen of the jury, what you think of that?
[G] Says, Stagger Lee, he can't do the line.
Bought a $5 [D] stuffing hat.
[A] He's a bad man.
Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
Standing on the gallows, head well high.
At [G] 12 o'clock, they killed him.
They's all [D] glad to see him die.
[A] He's a bad man.
[G] Oh, cruel [D] Stagger Lee. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
[A] _ _ _ [G] _ [D] _ Standing on the gallows, _ head well high.
[G] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _
[G] _ [D] _ Said, oh, police and officer, _ how can it be?
[G] You can arrest everybody, but cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[A] That bad man.
[G] Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _
_ _ [G] _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Stagger Lee was _ _ _ a desperator. _ _ _ _
And you know, Stagger Lee, _ him and his partner,
they robbed a coal mine one time.
Get me right.
_ [A] _ _
[D] _ _ _ All right, they go down the coal mine.
The boys had got paid off having a little game,
money all over the floor.
_ Stagger Lee and his partner got themselves placed.
[A] They says, hey, boys.
[D] They said, yeah.
_ They said, well, that fool Stagger Lee, then, must walk in here.
One guy, Billington Line, had stole his Stetson hat.
And he thought everything was all right.
Didn't make any difference if it was Billington Line.
_ He picked up a .44.
He says, ah.
_ Says, Stagger Lee's gun won't shoot a bit harder than this.
[A] _ [D] About this time, Stagger Lee's partner knocked his hat off with a bullet.
See, he got his nerve.
He dropped his gun.
[A] This [D] guy, he has a wife and two [A] children.
He come in begging, [D] please don't take my life.
I [A] got two little babies and a [D] darling, loving wife.
_ Oh, yeah?
_ Another guy went to take it up, you see?
See what [A] I mean?
_ [D] _ _ _
He rushed for his gun.
Bullet centered him right between the eyes.
[A] _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ All right, that settled him.
And when they got the money and was going home, _ _ _ Stag's partner was crying.
He says, oh, you got weak. _
_ He [Am] said, no, [D] I'm not weak.
Yes, you are.
Says, you're crying because you killed that man.
He [A] said, no. _
[D] He said, I'm not crying because I killed that man.
He said, [A] yes, you [D] are.
He said, well, what are you crying about?
He said, I missed my shot. _ _
_ _ _ He hit him between the eyes.
And he intended to hit him right in that right eye. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ Oh, listen, officer, how can it be?
[G] You can arrest everybody, but cruel Stagger [D] Lee, [A] that bad man.
[D] Oh, cruel Stagger Lee. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [D] _
_ [A] _ _ _ [G] _ [D] _ _
Oh, Stagger Lee, please don't take my life.
[G] Says, I got two little babies, darling, [D] loving wife, that [A] bad man.
Oh, [G] cruel [D] Stagger Lee. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ What I care about your two little babies, darling, loving wife.
[G] Says, you done stole my stuff and hat.
I'm bound [D] to take your life.
He's [A] a bad man.
[G] Oh, cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ [G] _ [D] _ Boom, boom, boom, boom.
What a 44.
[G] What a spy.
Pope is lying.
He's lying down in [D] the floor, [A] that bad man.
[D] Oh, cruel Stagger Lee. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
Gentlemen of the jury, what you think of that?
[G] Says, Stagger Lee, you'll be right.
Bought a [D] $5 stuffing hat.
He's [A] a bad man.
Oh, [G] cruel [D] Stagger Lee. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _
[G] _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ [A] _ _ _ [G] _ [D] _ _
Standing on the gallows, Stagger Lee did curse.
[G] The judge said, let's kill him.
Oh, he killed [D] some of us.
[A] He's a bad man.
Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ Boom, boom, boom, _ [G] boom.
Boom, boom, boom, _ _
[D] boom.
[A] Boom, _ _ [D] boom, boom, boom.
Boom, boom, boom, boom. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Gentlemen of the jury, what you think of that?
[G] Says, Stagger Lee, he can't do the line.
Bought a $5 [D] stuffing hat.
[A] He's a bad man.
Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
Standing on the gallows, head well high.
At [G] 12 o'clock, they killed him.
They's all [D] glad to see him die.
[A] He's a bad man.
[G] Oh, cruel [D] Stagger Lee. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
[A] _ _ _ [G] _ [D] _ Standing on the gallows, _ head well high.
[G] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _
[G] _ [D] _ Said, oh, police and officer, _ how can it be?
[G] You can arrest everybody, but cruel [D] Stagger Lee.
[A] That bad man.
[G] Oh, [D] cruel Stagger Lee.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _
_ _ [G] _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _