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Stagger Lee (Music)
- 38 statements
- 6 feature instances
- 9 referencing feature instances
| Stagger Lee (Music) | type |
TVTItem | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | label |
Stagger Lee (Music) | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | page |
StaggerLee | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | comment |
"Stagger Lee," also known as "Stack O' Lee," "Stackerlee," "Stagolee," etc.; is an American folk song. The song is a Murder Ballad about a badass named Stagger Lee, who murders a man named Billy.The song dates back at least to the 1890's. The lyrics were first published in 1911, and the song was first recorded in 1923. Mississippi John Hurt's mellow blues version, titled "Stack O' Lee Blues" and recorded 1928, is considered a definitive early version. Lloyd Price's upbeat rhythm & blues version became a number one hit in 1958, solidifying the song's status as a standard.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Versions of "Stagger Lee" have been recorded by a veritable who's who of popular music, including Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Ike and Tina Turner, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Grateful Dead, The Clash, Nick Cave, Beck, and The Black Keys.The song appears to be loosely based on a murder that took place in 1895. On Christmas Day in St. Louis, "Stag" Lee Sheldon and William Lyons ("Billy"), who both had violent reputations, got into an argument. During the argument, Billy apparently took Stag's hat, prompting Stag to fatally shoot Billy.The story is told differently in different versions of the song. Stagger Lee is always depicted as an extremely dangerous criminal, who is sometimes an Antihero and sometimes a villain. Stag and Billy's argument is often related to gambling, in which Billy may have cheated. Stag's hat, a Stetson, is often mentioned; it is either stolen or won by Billy. Some versions state that the authorities were too afraid of Stagger Lee to arrest him; in others, he is hanged, sometimes followed by an epilogue where he usurps hell from the Devil.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })Stagger Lee has entered American folklore as an Archetype of a black badass, who would influence Blaxploitation, Gangsta Rap and parts of the Black Power movement. | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | fetched |
2021-09-14T09:40:28Z | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | parsed |
2021-09-14T09:40:28Z | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_34a04a44 | type |
Archetype | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_34a04a44 | comment |
Archetype: Stagger Lee is one of the Scary Black Man/Anti-Hero variety (the latter more in the context of black rebellion against white authority than anything else). | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_34a04a44 | featureApplicability |
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| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_34a04a44 | featureConfidence |
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| Stagger Lee (Music) | hasFeature |
Stagger Lee (Music) / int_34a04a44 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_5b1a2f4e | type |
Ain't Too Proud to Beg | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_5b1a2f4e | comment |
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Billy in at least one version, pleads that Lee not shoot him because he has "three little children and a very sickly wife". | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_5b1a2f4e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_5b1a2f4e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | hasFeature |
Stagger Lee (Music) / int_5b1a2f4e | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_8ed5c6e4 | type |
Asshole Victim | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_8ed5c6e4 | comment |
Asshole Victim: Billy is often this, as he tries to either cheat or rob Stagger Lee. | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | hasFeature |
Stagger Lee (Music) / int_8ed5c6e4 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_bc74ef27 | type |
Berserk Button | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_bc74ef27 | comment |
Berserk Button: You don't take Stagger Lee's hat from him. | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_bc74ef27 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_bc74ef27 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | hasFeature |
Stagger Lee (Music) / int_bc74ef27 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_beb9a361 | type |
Anti-Hero | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_beb9a361 | comment |
Anti-Hero: Despite his murderous ways, Stagger Lee is often an implicitly or explictly heroic figure. According to James P. Hauser, this is due to his defiance of white authority. | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_beb9a361 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_beb9a361 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Stagger Lee (Music) | hasFeature |
Stagger Lee (Music) / int_beb9a361 | |
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| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_name | featureApplicability |
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| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_name | featureConfidence |
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| Stagger Lee (Music) | hasFeature |
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| Stagger Lee (Music) / int_name | itemName |
Stagger Lee (Music) |
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