Kris Kristofferson
"Stagger Mountain Tragedy"


I was born on stagger mountain in the sunshine and the snow
And leavin' was the first mistake I made;
But I hungered for the shadows in the valley down below
And the girl that danced the tune the devil played.
Her smile was like the blindin' light of sunshine on the snow
And the flashin' of her hair was black as sin.
And her body set the smokes of hell a-boilin' in my skull
When the fiddle of the devil made her spin.

Morning sunshine [sunshine] high on the mountain,
Where the air is pure and cold;
But there's darkness in the shadows
In the canyons of my soul.

The lantern cast a shadow like a demon on the wall
And the naked sweat was breathin' on her skin;
Then the room was spinning closer as her clothes began to fall
And the eagle started screamin' in my brain;
Then I saw the laughin' dagger and I heard the devil scream
And her bleeding heart was beating in my hand.
Then the darkness blew away and I was standin' by a tree
With a hanging rope a-danglin' from a limb.

Morning sunshine [sunshine] high on the mountain,
Where the air is pure and cold;
But there's darkness in the shadows
In the canyons of my soul.