Hi all,
It's a while since I found a version of Stackolee that was new to me, but David Miller's is one I had not heard previously. It's neat to encounter such a large number of verses that I've not heard elsewhere. David Miller was born in Ohio, and became blind, from blepharitis, while serving in the Army in World War I. After the war, he lived in Huntington, West Virginia. David Miller recorded "That Bad Man Stackolee", accompanying himself out of C position in standard tuning, at a solo session in Richmond, Indiana in May of 1927. Here is his version, "That Bad Man Stackolee":
Stackolee was a bully, Billy Lyons was, too
Billy Lyons stole Stackolee's hat, he shot him through and through
Over his John B. Stetson hat
Billy Lyons and Stackolee had a falling out
People, all in the town, wondered what it was about
All about that John B. Stetson hat
Billy Lyons went down to the barroom, he ordered up a glass of beer
Said to the bartender, "Has Stackolee been here?
He's a bad man, and he's looking for his hat."
Billy Lyons bent over the counter, talking to his friend
Just then old Stackolee come a-staggering in
That bad man, that bad man Stackolee
Billy Lyons, he raised up, and he turned a-right around slow
There stood old Stackolee with a great big .44
Said, "I'm a-looking for that John B. Stetson hat."
"Oh Stackolee, Stackolee, please don't take my life
I've got a lot of little children, darling little loving wife,
All over that John B. Stetson hat."
High sheriff come a-riding up, he come a-riding slow
Said to the bartender, "Which way did Stackolee go?
I'm a-looking for that bad man Stackolee."
He rode down the road, he catched him fast asleep
Touched old Stackolee on the arm, he jumped about ten feet
That bad man, that bad man Stackolee
He took him over to the jailhouse, no one to go his bail
High sheriff took him by the arm, throwed old Stackolee in jail
Said, "You're a bad man, and you got to stay in jail."
The boys was making up money to get old Stackolee out
I always liked old Stackolee, seemed to be a good old scout
But he's a bad man, let him stay in jail
Mrs. Lyons, she hollered, Mrs. Lyons, she squalled
That old a-hollerin' and squallin', don't do no good at all,
'Cause Billy's gone, oh yes, he's dead and gone
All best,
Johnm
