Song Search

Stack O' Lee

by Cliff 'Ukelele Ike' Edwards

on Odd Numbers of the 1920's (2008), Fascinatin' Rhythm (2014)

b>Part One

Listen folks I'm gonna tell you a story you've never heard
It's all about a high yellow colored man, that's true in every word
I'm talking about a man called Stack O' Lee

It was in Saint Louise on Pine Street, that's exactly where it was at
Stack up and shot himself a competing colored man on account of a dirty old Stetson hat
And from then on they called him hard luck Stack O' Lee

The sheriff came up and said "Hello Stack, Let's have a little talk"
Then he throwed the handcuffs onto stack and said "Come on buddy let's walk"
Down to the jailhouse they took poor Stack O' Lee

Stack's gal went out to get some bond money, for somebody to go his bail
She said "There ain't a trick in this world that I wouldn't turn to get my Stack out of jail"
Oh how she loved her Stack O' Lee

Next morning sown in the the court room, the judge sat down on the bench
The first one to occupy the witness stand was old Stack' O sweet loving wench
She said I'm gonna argue with the jury for Stack O' Lee

The judge got up and called dissent, his eyes was filled with tears
He said "I'm gonna be good to you this time Stack, I'm only gonna give you sixty nine years
You got plenty of time now Stack O' Lee"

They told him: "Stack don't even sharpen your razor, brother don't ever shave your face
Don't ever ask anybody the hour of day, cause you ain't going no place
You're in here from now on Stack O' Lee"

This song is just about half through, to get it all on here I've tried
You better stop your machine, turn your record over and play the other side
And you'll hear more of the song called Stack O' Lee

Part Two

Stack O's gal was a good gal, most everybody knows
She said I gotta go and get myself a lot of bucks to buy Stack some new prison clothes
In a way I must _____ by heart Stack O' Lee

But one morning she began to moan, great God how she cried
She got a letter from the jailhouse, said "Lady your Stack has died
He just up and kicked the bucket, did Stack O' Lee"

She went out and got a big rubber tie hearse, she got a little old lonesome hat
Took him on up to the graveyard, laid him right down on his back
And then they kicked a lot of dirt on the face of Stack O' Lee

A man standing by said "Last night while I was sleeping, I had myself an awful dream
If you got some tar I got the _____ lamp, I'll show you how to cook with steam
I might as well hop right along with Stack O' Lee"

But finally, one might say eventually, Stack O' Lee's gal died
The last thing she said was as she wanted to be buried right by his side
She said I wants my body to cool with Stack O' Lee

She had a common ordinary funeral, she was planted right down by his side
On the mionument read this inscription: "These riders rode their last ride"
And that is the story of the mnan called Stack O' Lee