That Cruel Stagolee

The blues ballad Stagolee (or Stagger Lee, Stackolee, etc.) is a classic of the African-American folk music tradition. In it, cruel Stagolee murders pathetic Billy over something petty (usually a hat, a gambling debt, or an insult) while Billy unsuccessfully begs for his life. It’s based on a real murder from 1895 St. Louis. The