Moustique
Stagger Lee
Twistin' the Rock! — 1963
Moustique, a French yé-yé artist, recorded a version of Stagger Lee in 1963. However, this adaptation significantly diverged from the original folk-blues narrative, omitting key elements such as Billy Lyons and the murder that forms the heart of the traditional story. Critics have described it as overly commercialized, with orchestration and lyrics sanitized to suit French audiences of the time. This approach may have stemmed from cultural sensitivities regarding the song's themes, which were deemed inappropriate for the era's mainstream listeners in France.
This French yé-yé version is a complete failure, even a betrayal. Beyond the outdated, overly commercial orchestration, the text adaptation is nonexistent since Billy Lyons has disappeared—no murder, no mention of Stagger Lee’s hat. In short, the original story has been completely discarded, likely judged too immoral for French audiences. This recalls the controversy around Lloyd Price's two versions. It’s appalling to claim that Maurice Merane created a French adaptation here. It’s not even plagiarism—it’s an enormous lapse in taste coupled with a mercantile attempt at exploitation. The true Stagger Lee scandal is thus French.
Stagger Lee, or Stack O'Lee, or even Stack & Billy, is one of, if not the most important song of folk-blues. This traditional American song is based on a true story from 1895. There are many versions and adaptations under various titles and musical styles (folk, blues, rock, reggae, punk...). The most famous is the rhythm-and-blues rendition by Lloyd Price, though the ending of the tale often changes between versions.