Here's another version of Stagolee that I didn't find in the DigiTrad.. Like the preceding one this is from Dorothy Scarborough's "On The Tail of Negro Folksongs" {originally published in 1925; Folklore Associates edition, 1963, pp 93}

"A version [of Stagolee] with a different tune is sung more commonly in Georgia.

I got up one morning jes' bout four o'clock;
Stagolee wan' big bully done have one finish fight;
What 'bout? All 'bout dat rawhide Stestson hat.

Stagolee shot Bully; Bully fell down on de flo'.
Bully cry out, "Dat dohty-fo' hurts me so".
Stagolee done killed dat Bully now.

Sent for de wagon, wagon didn't come;
Loaded sown wid pistols an' all date Gatlin' gun.
Stagolee done kill dat Bully now,

Some giv' a nickel some giv' a dime;
I did n't five a red copper cent 'cause he's no friend of mine.
Stagolee done kill dat Bully now.

Carried po' Bully to de cemetary; people standin' round,
When preacher say Amen, lay po' body down.
Stagolee done kill dat Bully now.

Fohty-dollar coffin, eighty-dollar back,
Carried po' man to de cemetery, but failed to bring him back.
Ev'rybody been dodging Stagolee."

end of quote

FWIW, the line "give a nickel and a dime" is very common in African American folksongs including African American children's rhymes.

Also I believe that the line "I did n't five a red copper cent 'cause he's no friend of mine" refers to the collection that was taken up to pay for Bully's {Billy's??} funeral. [that space was in the text for some reason, maybe a typo, maybe not]

BTW, one line in this song says "Stagolee done killed that Bully now" and the others say "Stagolee done kill that Bully now"...It's possible that the one line with the word "killed" was a result of the author's writing the word as she was used to saying it..

[then again, anything is possible, right?]   


Azizi