MURDER! Week — That Bad Man, Cruel Stagolee
Stack O'Lee/Staggerlee/Stagolee is a legendary figure in black myth and music. A real individual who lived in St. Louis in the 1800s, "Stack" Lee Sheldon shot William Lyons in a dispute. The reason most commonly given was that Lyons touched Sheldon's hat--an unforgivable affront to the short-tempered Lee--but we'll probably never know for sure. What we do know is that this minor bit of local murder history provided the raw material for a ballad played and sung by everyone from Mississippi John Hurt (shown above while his version is provided below) to Frank Hutchinson to James Brown to Nick Cave over the last century. Other versions portray Stagolee as a man so purely evil, when he dies he kills the devil and takes over Hell itself.
I like Hurt's version, his sweet voice and rolling sound providing a placid backdrop that makes the violence of the crime stand out. I don't have Frank Hutchinson's version here at work, but I'll add it tonight. Till then, our token white male version of "Stackolee" is provided by great blijnd guitarist Doc Watson. Our last selection, "Original Stack O' Lee Blues," comes from Long Cleve Reed and Little Harvey Hull who recorded for the Black Patti label. A black-owned recording company that opened and closed in 1927 after releasing only 55 sides. Only one copy of "Original Stack O' Lee Blues" exists, owned by long-time 78 collector Joe Bussard who says he intends to be buried with it.
Thorough but probably not comprehensive list of every variation of Stack O'Lee recorded.
Hurt's lyrics:
Police officer, how can it be?
You can arrest everybody but cruel Stagolee
That bad man, cruel Stagolee
Billy Lyons told Stagolee, "Please don't take my life
I got two baby children and a darling, loving wife"
That bad man, cruel Stagolee
"What'd I care about your two babes and darling, loving wife?
You done stole my Stetson hat, I'm bound to take your life."
That bad man, cruel Stagolee
Stagolee stood on the gallows, head way up high
Twelve o'clock, they killed him, we were all glad to see him die
That bad man, cruel Stagolee
