Pat Boone
Stagger Lee
Great! Great! Great!
Pat Boone’s version of Stagger Lee is a sanitized take on the classic folk tale famously popularized by Lloyd Price. Released in 1959, Boone's rendition adjusts both the lyrics and tone to suit a more conservative audience, typical of his approach to many R&B songs at the time. Notably, while Price’s version uses the original “Go, Stagger Lee, go!” refrain, Boone softens it to “Oh, Stagger Lee, oh!” to avoid the raw, confrontational tone associated with the song's violent narrative.
In contrast to Price’s more energetic, brassy delivery, Boone’s version has a smoother, gentler pop sound. This approach aligns with Boone's tendency to reframe R&B hits in a style more accessible to mainstream listeners of the late 1950s, especially those who found traditional rock and R&B too intense. Boone’s lyrical change is also part of a larger pattern where he made lyrics more palatable for his audience, reflecting his strategy of adapting songs from other genres into a form that was easier for some listeners to accept.