Staggerlee

The Grateful Dead

1940 Xmas evening with a full moon over town

Staggerlee met Bill DeLyon

and he blew that poor boy down

Do you know what he shot him for?

What do you make of that?

'Cause Billy DeLyon threw lucky dice,

won Staggerlee's Stetson hat



Baio, Baio, tell me how can this be?

You arrest the girls for turning tricks

but you're scared of Staggerlee

Staggerlee is a madman and he shot my Billy dead

Baio you go get him or give the job to me



Delia DeLyon, dear sweet Delia-D

How the hell can I arrest him when he's twice as big as me?

Don't ask me to go downtown-I wouldn't come back alive

Not only is that mother big, but he packs a .45



Baio Delia said just give me the gun

He shot my Billy dead now I'm gonna see him hung

She waded to DeLyon's Club, through Billy DeLyon's blood

She stepped up to Staggerlee at the bar

Said buy me a gin fizz, love



As Staggerlee lit a cigarette she shot him in the balls

Blew the smoke off her revolver, had him dragged to city hall

Baio, Baio, see you hang him high

He shot my Billy dead and now he's got to die



Delia went a-walking down on Singapore Street

A three-piece band on the corner played "Nearer My God to Thee"

but Delia whistled a different tune....what tune could it be?



The song that woman sung was look out Staggerlee

The song that woman sung was look out Staggerlee

The song that woman sung was look out Staggerlee

The song that woman sung was look out Staggerlee