Stackolee went down to hell

Lookin’ mighty furious

Devil said, “Where you come from, boy?”

He told him, “East St. Louis.”

 

Stackolee said to the Devil,

“Put your pitchfork on the shelf,

I’m the bad man they call Stackolee

Gonna rule Hell by myself.”

 

 

The Devil sent a woman

            With a stomach made of rain

Stackolee sucked her bones clean dry

            And sent her back again,

 

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil is gonna win

 

 

Stackolee took the Devil

            And he tied him to a rail

Set fire ants to eat his horns

            And a goat to eat his tail

 

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil is gonna fail

 

 

Devil sent another woman

            Her eyes were made of coal

Stackolee sent her back again

            They were red as a jelly roll

 

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil gonna take his toll

 

 

Stackolee took the Devil

            And he chained him to the air

Put hornets all around his private parts

            And maggots in his hair

 

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil, he don’t care

 

 

The Devil sent his daughter

            Took old Stackolee by the arm

Walked him into the fiery pit,

            Stack says, “It’s getting’ warm”

 

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil gonna work a charm

 

 

Stackolee took off his gloves

            And loosened up his vest

The Devil’s daughter went and laid

            Her head against his chest

 

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil

Oh, he’s  doin’ what he do best

 

 

The devil’s daughter took old Stack’s hand

            And she placed it on her heart

Fire so hot it fused them hard

            So they’d never come apart

 

Oh, the Devil

Oh, the Devil

Come on and see the Devil’s art

 

 

 

© Tad Richards
www.opus40.org
http://opusforty.blogspot.com/