Ritter, Josh - Folk Bloodbath Lyrics
Lewis Collins took a trip out west
And when he returned
little Delia had gone to rest
The angels laid her away
that's the sad thing with life
there's people always leaving
just as other folks arrive
the angels laid her away
And when the people heard
that Delia was dead
all of them gentlemen
they dressed in red
the angels laid her away
Angels laid her away
laid her six feet under the clay
the angels laid her away
Lewis went downtown
for a new suit of clothes
He's gonna dress up
for Delia like a fine red rose
the angels laid him away
He bought a ten-gallon stetson
it was ox-blood red
and then Stacker Lee shot Lewis
in the back of the head
the angels laid him away
Stacker Lee said to Lewis
oh now don't you grieve
I'm sending you to Delia
you won't ever have to leave
the angels laid him away
Angels laid him away
laid him six feet under the clay
the angels laid him away
Oh the judge was a mean one
his name was hangin' Billy Lyons
He said you've always been a bad man, Stack
You're gonna hang this time
the angels lay you away
And the jailer said to Stacker Lee
What's the problem with you?
Oh jailer, Lewis Collins ghost brought Delia's with him too
and the angels laid him away
Angels laid him away
laid him six feet under the clay
the angels laid him away
Well they buried little Delia
in the churchyard deep
With Lewis Collins at her head
Stacker Lee at her feet
the angels laid them away
And out of Delia's bed came briars
and out of Lewis' bed a rose
and out of Stacker Lee's came
Stacker Lee's cold lonely little ghost
the angels laid them away
And I'm lookin' over rooftops
and I'm hopin' that it ain't true
that the same God looks out for them
looks out for me and you
the angels laid them away
the angels laid them away
the angels laid them away
Other Lyrics by Artist
- Ritter, Josh - Rattling Locks
- Ritter, Josh - See Me Through
- Ritter, Josh - Can't Go To Sleep (Without You)
- Ritter, Josh - Third Arm
- Ritter, Josh - Evil Eye
- Ritter, Josh - A Certain Light
- Ritter, Josh - Hopeful
- Ritter, Josh - Nightmares
- Ritter, Josh - New Lover
- Ritter, Josh - Heart's Ease
- Ritter, Josh - In Your Arms Again
- Ritter, Josh - The Appleblossom Rag
- Ritter, Josh - Bonfire
- Ritter, Josh - In Your Arms Awhile
- Ritter, Josh - Joy To You Baby
- Ritter, Josh - Lights
- Ritter, Josh - Birds Of The Meadow
- Ritter, Josh - Make Me Down
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- Gregory Alan Isakov - Liars
- Gregory And The Hawk - Boats And Birds
- Gregory And The Hawk - I'm Your Puppet
- Gregory And The Hawk - In Fact
- Gregory And The Hawk - Old Victorian On Brainerd Road
- Gregory And The Hawk - Like Daddy, Like Daughter
- Gregory And The Hawk - Isabelle
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Ritter, Josh Folk Bloodbath Comments
Noam brought me here.
This reminds me just a touch of Jackson Brown.
anybody know why he rewrote the tale? I'm struggling to interpret it and the changes
THE BLACKLIST!!!!! 😭😭😭
Streaming an episode of "The Good Wife" and this was a closing theme song.
From The Good Wife, when Lemond Bishop was being led away by the Feds. A "lump in my throat" song.
Ever since I heard it on the good wife I listen to this every day
I heard this song on the good wife I like the song
My favorite song to include the Stagger Lee folklore.
Blown away...just what I needed. Sincere thanks. ⛩🇻🇮🌴〰
yo pense que esto era geometry dash que verga
I'm here listening to this sitting on porch in the countryside. the dawn is urupting with shotguns from the duck hunters out on the misty river and the jubalee of Chikadees singing in the light. The smell from last night rain cleans my senses as the smoke rolls slowly off my cigarette up into oblivion. Josh ritter music inspires but life is the magic of inspiration
There is no official way to write the name, but Rockinronnie was showing the way that Josh Ritter wrote the song.
Mr. Rockinronnie is full of it. The story is a mix of three songs, Delia (Blind Willie McTell), Louis Collins (MS. John Hurt) and Stagger Lee (Traditional, Unknown) Delia was Delia Green of Savanna GA, Stagger Lee, was Lee Shelton, a St. Louis Pimp circa 1895. It came from his nickname Stag Lee. Louis Collins was Hurt's cousin.
I listened to this after The Good Wife as well. Come back and listen now and then. Nice song!
Good wife too! i need this album!
He has definitely taken influence from Gordon Lightfoot in this song, you can hear it a mile away. That isn't a bad thing by the way.
Josh Ritter's amazing music brought me here. Not The Good Wife, not my penis, just Josh Ritter.
I thought it was Stagger Lee.
A quien no le guste esta musica por dios. I Like..
What a great song. Beautiful
I love good wife.. they have the best music ever in television, next to Treme ofc.
Here because of The Good Wife!
Matheus Motta Yep. Me to. Beautiful
What a beautiful song...
Me too find most of favorite music found from Sopranos Heavan Only Knows - Emmylou Harris
Stagger Lee is also a correct spelling--the character/song is so old that there's no standard spelling of the name.
This song is like the "American Pie" of folk music. Great stuff!
i wish i could write like this.
From a songwriting point-of-view, this song is the equivalent of achieving a double-pirouette. Ridiculously difficult, bridging centuries of Gothic folk songs into one seamless narrative. Ritter makes it look easy.
It is almost ridiculous how Ritter's command of prose makes every lyric sound like the most profound, soulful thing you've ever heard. This is only eclipsed by how topical all of it seems to be. He has the unique ability to stay on topic and spin the words with a dizzying profundity that relates completely to the story he's telling, as well as the "chapter" each line represents. The result is inspirational and disheartening as his mastery makes me want to take flame to my own offerings.
To correct you both, it's "Stagger Lee". This is a tribute to Nick Cave's Murder Ballads, hence the name Folk Bloodbath. He combines themes from the songs Stagger Lee and Where the Wild Roses Grow from that album.
just something about how he says angels puts a lump in my throat
one word awesome.
@SuperRockinronnie thanks! corrected!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SONG. tHANK YOU STARBUCKS FOR PLAYING IT NON-STOP!
Best version of this classic I've found on You Tube. Many thanks for posting! ;-)