Folk Bloodbath

Louis Collins took a trip out west And when he returned little Delia'd gone to rest The angels laid her away Louis said to Delia, "That's the sad thing with life" "People always leaving just as other folks arrive" The angels laid her away When the people heard that Delia was dead All them gentlemen they dressed in red The angels laid her away The angels laid her away Laid her six feet under the clay The angels laid her away Louis went downtown for a new suit of clothes Gonna dress up for Delia like a fine red rose The angels laid him away He brought a ten-gallon stetson it was oxblood red Then Stackalee shot Louis in the back of the head The angels laid him away Stackalee said to Louis, "Oh now, don't you grieve" I'm sending you to Delia you won't ever have to leave" The angels laid him away The angels laid him away Laid him six feet under the clay The angels laid him away 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 laid him away And the jailer said to Stackalee, "What's the problem with you?" "Oh, jailer, Louis Collins ghost brought Delia's with him too" The angels laid him away The angels laid him away Laid him six feet under the clay The angels laid him away They buried little Delia in the churchyard deep Louis Collins at her head, Stackalee at her feet The angels laid them away And out of Delia's bed came briars, out of Louis' bed a rose And out of Stackalee's came Stackalee's cold lonely little ghost The angels laid them away And I'm looking over rooftops and I'm hoping that it ain't true That the same God looked out for them looks out for me and you The angels laid them away