Stagolee's Funeral
The folk ballad describes Stagolee's funeral as an event unlike any before seen. Thousands of people came from miles around to see the baddest man who ever lived laid to rest. A procession of mourners stretched for blocks—the women weeping, the men silent and respectful. His coffin was reportedly so fine it cost more than most men earned in a year. The ballad describes the funeral train, the flowers, the hymns sung over his grave. Yet even in death, Stagolee remained defiant. The women who heard of his death 'could not stay at home,' rushing to the funeral in droves. Verses describe how 'the w