Hangman, John Jacob Niles

Hangman, Hangman,
slack your line
slack it for a time,
'coz my eyes do hold an honest feelin'
born in the waste of the days,
born in the waste of the days.

Look, look, look, look, look, look, look,
into my eyes
will my tears stand as your fee?,
or do you have to send me swingin'
high from your hangman's tree,
high from your hangman's tree.

My, my, my, my, my, my, my,
what I could have been
In the days I ne'er shall see,
'coz my crimes have brought me to your dealin'
soon to be waste of my days,
soon to be waste of my days.

Hangman, Hangman,
hold your line
hold it for a time,
'coz my life can't end with me a swingin'
high from your hangman's tree,
high from your hangman's tree.

.....


When, when, when, when, when, when, when,
I was a man
with a pretty girl out east,
I cursed her ears 'til they were ringin'
down all the waste of the miles,
down all the waste of the miles.

Boo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo,
sobbed she so long
all my words they did her wrong,
'coz then she sent herself a swingin'
high from a hangman's tree,
high from a hangman's tree.

....


Hangman, Hangman,
grasp your line
grasp it for the time,
'coz in a minute I'll be swingin'
by this here waste of a way,
by this here waste of a way.

Why, why, why, why, why, why, why,
did I do wrong?
and do it for so long,
my sins have led me to a killin'
here at your hangman's tree,
here at your hangman's tree.

I, I, I, I, I, I, I,
wish I was free
for to satisfy your fee,
'coz now my eyes they are a swimmin'
through all the waste of the while,
through all the waste of the while.

Hangman, Hangman,
heave your line
heave it for a time,
and in the dawn they'll find me swingin'
high from this hangman's tree,
high from this hangman's tree.