"Stagolee was, undoubtedly and without question, the baddest nigger that ever lived. Stagolee was so bad that the flies wouldn't even fly around his head in the summertime, and snow wouldn't fall on his house in the winter."

– Julius Lester, "Black Folktales.

The Song and the Myth of Stagger Lee

237 Recorded Versions of Stagger Lee

I learned John Hurt's syncopated, fingerstyle version when I was a lad and have played this tune for 50 years. I always wanted to add
my own verse along the lines of -

The judge told ol' Stagger Lee
Man, you're going to Hell
Stagger Lee just looked at him
Said - Judge I'll see you there as well

voyager