We've laid the cables and the wires / We've split the wood and stoked / the fires / We've lit our town so there is no / Place for crime to hide ... Stagger Lee. Explain your version of song meaning, find more of Nick Cave lyrics. Huey Lewis and the News recorded "Stagger Lee" on their 1994 album of R&B covers, Four Chords And Several Years Ago. And what does KISS stand for anyway? The song was first published in 1911 and first recorded in 1923, by Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians. You could mention him in most conversations and people would know who you meant. For the girl I have in that merry green land. It was recorded in 1977 but not published until 1981 in the album Something New Under the Son. album: "From Her To Eternity" (1984) Avalanche. He was nicknamed "Stag Lee" or "Stack Lee", with a variety of explanations being given for the moniker: he was given the nickname because he 'went "stag"', meaning he was without friends; he took the nickname from a well-known riverboat captain called "Stack Lee"; or, according to John and … Christ was forgiving, merciful, and loving, but he was after all the Son of the Old Testament God and his father’s blood still boiled in his veins. "Stagger Lee", also known as "Stagolee" and other variants, is a popular American folk song about the murder of Billy Lyons by "Stag" Lee Shelton, in St. Louis, Missouri at Christmas, 1895. Check out the picture of Dylan wearing a Stetson on the back side of the CD. Lovely Creature. [17] In 1972 Dr. John included a version on his album Dr. John's Gumbo. The Kindness Of Strangers. Original lyrics of Stagger Lee song by Nick Cave. See what you know about Ms. Jackson. [8] The name was quickly corrupted in the folk tradition; early versions were called "Stack-a-Lee" and "Stacker Lee"; "Stagolee" and "Stagger Lee" also became common. He was paroled in 1909, but returned to prison in 1911 for assault and robbery. So did Beck, Mississippi John Hurt, the Black Keys and Elvis Presley.. Over 400 different artists have recorded … He was nicknamed Stag Lee or Stack Lee, with a variety of explanations being given: he was given the nickname because he "went stag", meaning he was without friends; he took the nickname from a well-known riverboat captain called Stack Lee; or, according to John and Alan Lomax, he took the name from a riverboat owned by the Lee family of Memphis called the Stack Lee, which was known for its on-board prostitution. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds . Josh Ritter recorded a version of the tale titled "Folk Bloodbath" on the album So Runs the World Away. [12], The song was first recorded by Waring's Pennsylvanians in 1923, and became a hit. ... Henry Lee (nick Cave Version) Into My Arms. The Curse Of Millhaven. Also Stagger Lee still has problems in bars, and ends up shooting not only a bartender, but also another rival also called Billy. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' 'Ghosteen' is reviewed by Rolling Stone. Just then Billy Dilly rolls in and said, “You must be That bad motherfucker called Stagger Lee” Stagger Lee Said Stagger Lee "I'm a bad motherfucker, don't you know? I love far better than thee. More songs from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, More songs about people who committed crimes, Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss. Handy wrote that this probably was a nickname for a tall person, comparing him to the tall smokestack of the large steamboat Robert E. Rips, eddies and back-currents of accumulated meaning deposit their silt onto a bed of gravel. I've read more than a hundred books. There is a song that has been recorded by James Brown, Nick Cave and Neil Diamond. ... Stagger Lee. —Nick Cave In 1997, Nick Cave released The … P.F. "Stagger Lee", also known as "Stagolee" and other variants, is a popular American folk song about the murder of Billy Lyons by "Stag" Lee Shelton, in St. Louis, Missouri at Christmas, 1895. O'Malley's Bar. Lee. And the wind did howl and the wind did blow. ... that God is in the house God is in the house God is in the … [19] Christian Rock musician Larry Norman wrote new lyrics using a bluesy version of the tune called Nightmare #97 about a religious experience where the narrator is caught up to heaven. [13] Also in 1924, the first version with lyrics was recorded, as "Skeeg-a-Lee Blues", by Lovie Austin. [10] In his version, as in all such pieces, there are many (sometimes anachronistic) variants on the lyrics. Odum. From Her To Eternity. And the wind did howl and the wind did blow. Nick Cave 21st October 1996 ... going beyond its spectacular lyrics and universally delivering meaning and emotions only through the musical notes. On the night of December 25, 1895, "Stag" Lee Shelton shot dead his underworld rival William "Billy" Lyons in a St. Louis saloon following a dispute. The version by Mississippi John Hurt, recorded in 1928, is regarded by many as definitive. ... Stagger Lee, about the famous murder case, is … [18] The Clash's 1979 album London Calling includes a cover of the song "Wrong 'Em Boyo" by the Jamaican rocksteady group the Rulers, in which Stagger Lee is explicitly the hero and Billy the villain. Stranger Than Kindness. ;[16] while The Youngbloods released a version of the song on their 1971 album, Good and Dusty. La la la la lee. Cabin Fever. Bob Dylan's excellent "Stack A Lee" was based on Frank Hutchison's recording. When I first heard an actual old-school bluesman sing the song ... Cave's studio version, with lyrics, can be encountered here (with a rock video! Did she gain 60 pounds for a movie role that went to Mariah Carey? Lee Shelton (March 16, 1865 – March 11, 1912), popularly known as "Stagolee," "Stagger Lee," "Stack-O-Lee," and other variations, was an American criminal who became a figure of folklore after murdering Billy Lyons on Christmas 1895.The murder, reportedly to be motivated partially by the theft of Shelton's Stetson hat, made Shelton an icon of toughness and style in the minds of early folk and blues … Nick Cave's "Stagger Lee" is so obscene it would make Stagger Lee himself blush. Several older versions give Billy's last name as "De Lyons" or "Deslile". Related artists: Grinderman sort by album sort by song. It appears on his World Gone Wrong album. Pacific, Gas & Electric included the song under the name "Staggolee" on their 1970 album Are You Ready? Henry Lee. In 1999, Nick Cave delivered a lecture on love songs in which he dusted off and donned the old Spanish word ‘Duende’, which was defined by poet and (perhaps) purely platonic love interest of Salvador Dali, Frederico Garcia Lorca, as exalted emotion unearthed from within, “a mysterious force that everyone feels and no philosopher has explained. [6] Lyons died of his injuries, and Shelton was charged, tried, and convicted of the murder in 1897. [15] His version was ranked number 456 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, and also reached number 7 on the UK singles chart. The Carny. Eventually, the two men got into a dispute, during which Lyons took Shelton's Stetson hat. Nick Cave's funky version of the traditional "Stagger Lee" appears on the album Murder Ballads. He died in incarceration in 1912. But despite all the places I've looked. [4], On Christmas night in 1895, Shelton and his acquaintance William "Billy" Lyons were drinking in the Bill Curtis Saloon. … Comment and share your favourite lyrics. Red Right Hand. The Moon Is In The Gutter. [14] By the time W.C. Stagger Lee. And stay all night with thee. Seen love mentioned many thousand times. Another version was recorded later that year by Frank Westphal & His Regal Novelty Orchestra, and Herb Wiedoeft and his band recorded the song in 1924. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. How the American gangsta rappers made history by getting banned in the UK. Another ‘song with a story’ but for once not a country ballad, ‘Stagger Lee’ was a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds rock anthem on their 1996 album ‘Murder Ballads’. I’ve seen your fairground hair, your seaside eyes Your vampire tooth, your little truth Your tiny lies I know your trembling hand, your guilty prize Your sleeping limbs, your foreign hymns Your midnight cries So dry your eyes And turn your head away Now there’s nothing more to say Now you’re gone away I know […] Other recorded variants include "Stackerlee", "Stack O'Lee", "Stackolee", "Stackalee", "Stagerlee", and "Stagalee". It is included on his Murder Ballads CD. Said Stagger Lee "I'm a bad motherf*cker, don't you know And I'll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get one fat boy's asshole" Said Stagger Lee Just then Billy Dilly rolls in and he says, "You must be That bad motherf*cker called Stagger Lee" Stagger Lee "Yeah, I'm Stagger Lee and you better get down on your knees A version by Lloyd Price reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. [10] The earliest versions were likely field hollers and other work songs performed by African-American laborers, and were well known along the lower Mississippi River by 1910. Saint Huck. After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box.". From the early Nineties, Nick Cave-- ever so slowly -- ceased to be a preoccupation of those who immersed themselves in the gloom of his raw and dirty blues-based music and became a respected, almost mainstream figure. La la la la la. [9], A song called "Stack-a-Lee" was first mentioned in 1897, in the Kansas City Leavenworth Herald, as being performed by "Prof. Charlie Lee, the piano thumper". Bob Dylan included a version of "Stack A Lee" on his 1993 album World Gone Wrong. And just give it a listen, because everything on there is really, really special. ... seemed like a lark — see “Stagger Lee,” John Finn’s ... Ghosteen is the frankness of the lyrics. [2] Shelton was well known locally as one of the Macks, a group of pimps who demanded attention through their flashy clothing and appearance. The River Hurt is a river of hurt. Wings Off Flies. It won't cost you a dime" Mr. Stagger Lee "But there's something I have to say before you begin You have to be gone before my man Billy Dilly comes in Mr. Stagger Lee" "I'll stay here 'til Billy Dilly comes in, 'til time comes to pass And furthermore I'll fuck Billy 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 one fat boy's asshole" … Before World War II, it was commonly known as "Stack O'Lee". Mr. Stagger Lee "But there's something I have to say before you begin You'll have to be gone before my man Billy Dilly comes in, Mr. Stagger Lee." Duke Ellington, The Grateful Dead, Woody Guthrie, The Ventures, Ike & Tina Turner, Ma Rainey and Jerry Lee Lewis. Henry Lee Lyrics: Get down, get down, little Henry Lee / And stay all night with me / You won't find a girl in this damn world / That will compare with me / And the wind did howl and the wind did List of number-one R&B singles of 1959 (U.S.), "Stacker Lee: A partial investigation into the historicity of a Negro murder ballad", "A Brief History of Stagger Lee and Billy Lyons", "Herb Wiedoeft's Cinderella Roof Orchestra", "Largehearted Boy: Book Notes - Derek McCulloch ("Stagger Lee")", "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stagger_Lee&oldid=1000486837, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes songs, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 January 2021, at 08:40. “Stagger Lee,” like so many other songs in this dark folk tradition, sees its protagonist change in shape from a wronged man with an itchy trigger to an outright monster as the original begins to fade and the subsequent renderings require more of a touch-up. Stagger Lee Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have never shied away from cover songs and their most iconic cover is of the old American folk song ‘Stagger Lee’ which tells the story of the real-life murder of Billy Lyons by Stag Lee Shelton in 1895 St. Louis, Missouri. The version by Pacific Gas & Electric, was included on the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino's film Death Proof, the second portion of the 2007 double-feature Grindhouse. Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs. The song was covered by Pat Boone, and other versions were recorded in the 1960s by Ike and Tina Turner, The Righteous Brothers, James Brown, Wilson Pickett (whose version made number 22 on the US pop chart), Johnny and the Hurricanes (whose instrumental is called "High Voltage"), Dave Van Ronk on his 1962 album Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger, Tom Rush on his 1963 album, "Blues, Songs And Ballads", Doc Watson on his 1967 album Ballads From Deep Gap, and by Taj Mahal on the 1969 album Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home. Nick Cave version. The Meaning of Love Lyrics. Did Journey have a contest to name the group? Hence, the network's own record subsidiary, ABC Paramount Records, issued a broadcast … I'm still no nearer the meaning of love. Songs like Straight To You, Christina the Astonishing, Papa Won't Leave You Henry and … The Clash, Pat Boone, Fats Domino and Bob Dylan. Where The Wild Roses Grow. Not a cover version of the classic song, but instead an alternative and darker version of the tale itself, the references are evident: set in 1932, a still alive Stagger Lee now owns a Colt .45 (instead of the 'original' .44) and carries a deck of cards; he also still has his Stetson hat, which is now, of course, "old". was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed. This version retakes a street "toast poem" on Stagolee.[20]. Stagger Lee was a bad man. Price also recorded a toned-down version of the song that changed the shooting to an argument between two friends for his appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.[10]. Wesley Snipes played the rival gang leader in Michael Jackson's "Bad" video. STAGGER LEE (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Murder Ballads, 1995) I would say if you haven’t heard Nick Cave - if for whatever reason he’s passed you by – then buy Murder Ballads before you buy anything else. The best known version of "Stagger Lee," by Lloyd Price, reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959 - Dick Clark insisted the violent content of the song be toned down when Price appeared on American Bandstand Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' sweary interpretation tells the story from a neutral perspective and is set in the 1930s. We No Who U R. We No Who U R. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds . Tom Jones did it. A Box For Black Paul. This version is based on R. L. Burnside's rendition which can be heard on the album Well, Well, Well. A little bird lit down on Henry Lee. A version by Lloyd Price reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. Stagger Lee Lyrics: The night was clear / And the moon was yellow / And the leaves came tumbling down / I was standing on the corner / When I heard my bulldog bark / He was barking at the two men The Mercy Seat. It was ABC broadcast standards and practices that nixed the lyrics for broadcast. Ma Rainey recorded the song the following year, with Louis Armstrong on cornet, and a version was recorded by Frank Hutchison on January 28, 1927 in New York, and is included in Harry Smith's famous Anthology of American Folk Music (Song 19 of 84).[10]. In his version, Stagger Lee killed a man named Louis Collins, and 'Hangin' Billy Lyons was the judge who sentenced Stagger to hang. The song was first published in 1911 and first recorded in 1923, by Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians. Well Of Misery. Was Janet secretly married at 18? See if you can spot the true tales. Ronnie Dunn wrote "Boot Scootin' Boogie" before he teamed up with Kix Brooks to form Brooks & Dunn. It is based upon two sources: a ... Dick Clark didn't personally want the lyrics changed for broadcast on "Bandstand." Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? "Mickey" by Toni Basil was originally a song called "Kitty" by a male group. Tommy Roe's 1971 version of the song went to number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Canadian Singles Chart. She picked the new name after Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. The Song and Myth of Stagger Lee. That year, musicologist John Lomax received a partial transcription of the song,[11] and in 1911, two versions were published in the Journal of American Folklore by the sociologist and historian Howard W. [5] Subsequently, Shelton shot Lyons, recovered his hat, and left. It was originally recorded by the country group Asleep At The Wheel, but Brooks & Dunn did it themselves when it got its own line dance. Where The Wild Roses Grow. In 1996, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds included a song called "Stagger Lee" on their album "Murder Ballads". [10], In 1950, a version of "Stack-a-Lee" by New Orleans pianist Archibald reached number 10 on the Billboard R&B chart. The crime soon became the subject of songs as well as folktales and poems. Avalanche. I can't get down and I won't get down. … Watch official video, print or download text in PDF. Handy wrote that explanation in 1926, "Stack O' Lee" was already familiar in United States popular culture, with recordings of the song made by such pop singers of the day as Cliff Edwards. The historical "Stagger Lee" was Lee Shelton, an African-American pimp living in St. Louis, Missouri in the late 19th century. Crow Jane. 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. One of Tom Petty's most personal songs is "Room At The Top," which he stopped performing because it brought back painful memories. A version by the Fabulous Thunderbirds can be found on the Porky's Revenge soundtrack (1985). In 2005, Chris Whitley and Jeff Lang recorded their own arrangement of the song, called "Stagger Lee", ultimately released on their 2006 CD Dislocation Blues. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Lyrics. It's still no clearer it's just not enough. The song's title comes from Shelton's nickname—Stag Lee or Stack Lee. Elton John had a huge hit duetting with Kiki Dee on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," but he's also performed it with RuPaul and Miss Piggy. Modern Life Is War recorded a hardcore punk version for their 2007 album Midnight In America. The river empties into an ocean of anguish and resignation. The Black Keys recorded a song entitled "Stack Shot Billy" on their 2004 album Rubber Factory. In creating his Son, God the Father had evolved, he had moved on…Christ came to right the wrongs of his father…Christ is the imagination, at times terrible, irrational, incendiary, and beautiful; in short, Godlike. The Mississippi is on stage again, but now the river, or we should say, the water, is the absolute main character: water of rebirth, tears of sorrow, stream of purification, it permeates every song of the album. The Grateful Dead frequently played and eventually recorded a version of the tale which focuses on the fictionalized hours after the death of "Billy DeLyon", when Billy's wife Delia tracks down Stagger Lee in a local saloon and "she shot him in the balls" in revenge for Billy's death. An extended version appears on Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes 1981 live album Reach Up And Touch The Sky. [15] Lloyd Price recorded the song as "Stagger Lee" in 1958, and it rose to the top of both the R&B and US pop charts in early 1959. Stagger Lee, Nick Cave, and Murder Ballads Like a lot of people from my generation, the first variation on the story of Stagger Lee and Billy Lyons I encountered was The Clash's ska-inflected "Wrong'Em Boyo," on London Calling. "I'll stay here till Billy comes in, till time comes to pass And furthermore I'll fuck Billy in his motherfucking ass." Neil Sedaka recorded the song in 1983 for his album Come See About Me. And I'll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get one fat boy's asshole," Said Stagger Lee Other notable pre-war versions were by Duke Ellington (1927), Cab Calloway (1931), and Woody Guthrie (1941). Lyrics of “Stagger Lee” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, 1996 . Lyrics to 'God Is In The House' by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The historical Stagger Lee was Lee Shelton, a black pimp living in St. Louis, Missouri in the late 19th century. Lyons was also a member of St. Louis' underworld, and may have been a political and business rival to Shelton. The game Lana Del Rey sings about in "Video Games" is World of Warcraft - her ex used to play it all the time. [ 16 ] while the Youngbloods released a version on his 1993 album World Gone Wrong L.... 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