The World Wide Wackfest tells me the 456th greatest song of all time is "Stagger Lee" by Lloyd Price and that it is a folk song based on an actual homicide around Christmas of 1895 in St. Louis.
Without the early R&B backbeat and the background vocalists' incessant chanting of "Oh Stagger Lee," it does sound a bit like breaking news, starting with a short weather report:
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 barkin' at the two men who were gamblin' in the dark.
It was Stagger Lee and Billy; two men who gambled late. Stagger Lee threw seven, Billy swore that he threw eight.
Stagger Lee told Billy, "I can't let you go with that. You have won all my money and my brand new Stetson hat."
Stagger Lee went home and he got his forty-four; said, "I'm goin' to the barroom just to pay that debt I owe."
Stagger Lee went to the barroom and he stood across the barroom door. He said, "Nobody move!" and he pulled his forty-four.
"Stagger Lee!" cried Billy, "Oh, please don't take my life! I've got three little children and a very sickly wife."
Stagger Lee shot Billy. Oh, he shot that poor boy so bad 'till the bullet came through Billy and it broke the bartender's glass.
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But hey, it's got a good beat and is easy to dance to. I give it an 80.
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