Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

Stackalee Lyrics by Dave Van Ronk

Folksinger

0

I remember one September
Cold and frosty night
Mr. Stackerlee and Billy deLyons
Had a great fight
When you lose your money
Learn to lose

Ol' Stackerlee shot six bits
Billy Lyons, bet he passed
Stackerlee out with his forty-five
Says, "You've done shot your last"
When you lose your money
Learn to lose

Lord, a woman comes a running
Fell down on her knees
Crying, "Lordy Lord, Mister Stackerlee
Don't shoot my brother please"
When you lose your money...

Talk about some gambler
Oughta seen my Richard Lee
Shot one thousand dollars
And he come out on a three
When you lose your money
Learn to lose

Stackerlee got his pistol
Lord, he got it fast
Shot poor Billy through and through
And he broke a looking glass
When you lose your money...

Well, the deputy says to the sheriff
"We want him dead or alive"
"How in the world can we bring him in
When he totes a forty-five?"
When you lose your money
Learn to lose

Old deputy leaves the office
Put his pistol on the shelf
"You wanna go and get that bad man
Better do it by yourself"
When you lose your money...

Well, they sent for the militia
Wagons come
Loaded up with pistols
And a great big Gatling gun
When you lose your money
Learn to lose

Well, the judge says, "Mister Stackerlee
Mister bad man Stackerlee
Gonna hang your body up
And set your spirit free"
When you lose your money
Learn to lose

Well, he's standin' on his gallows
Head way up high
Twelve o'clock, we killed him
I was glad to see him die
When you lose your money...

"There's a great big rumbling underground
Mama, what is that?"
"Ain't nothin' but old Stackerlee down in hell
With his John B. Stetson hat"
When you lose your money
Learn to lose

Well, Stack says to the devil
"Devil, lets have some fun
You stab me with your pitchfork
And I'll shoot you with my gun"
When you lose your money
Learn to lose

Well, Stack says to the devil
"Put your pitchfork on the shelf
I'm the bad man they call Stackerlee
I'm gonna rule hell by myself"
When you lose your money
Learn to lose

About “Stackalee” by Dave Van Ronk

Read the complete lyrics to "Stackalee" by Dave Van Ronk from the album "Folksinger". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Stackalee" is performed by Dave Van Ronk. from the album "Folksinger" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Stackalee", explore more songs by Dave Van Ronk using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Dave Van Ronk · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Stackalee" is credited to Dave Van Ronk. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Stackalee" appears on "Folksinger".

Visit the Dave Van Ronk artist page at /artist/dave-van-ronk for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features


© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.