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The village square stands quiet |
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The curfew still enforced |
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The streets are even clear of dogs and whores |
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Like some evil bird-of-prey |
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The scaffold spreads its wings |
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The people build their fires and bolt their doors |
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The mayor is giving dinner to the officers' wives |
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His eldest son is learning how to fawn |
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The barrick block is hushed and tense |
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The soldiers drawing lots |
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Who will be the hangman in the dawn? |
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The lot falls on a young man |
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Who has served for but a year |
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His home is in the village close nearby |
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He shivers at the thought of what |
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He's forced to do next day |
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He wonders who it is who has to die? |
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And the full moon casts a cold light |
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On the gloomy prison walls |
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The papist walks his cell |
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He cannot sleep |
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He hears the waiting gallows creaking |
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Just beyond that door |
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He prays for he has no more tears to weep |
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The day begins to break |
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A muffled drums begins to sound |
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A crowd begins to gather in the square |
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The presence of the hangman |
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In his terrifying mask |
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Weighs heavy on the minds of all those there |
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The colonel reads the sentence |
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Which the papist knows by heart: |
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He has failed to show alliegence to the king |
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His crime is thus with God himself |
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And in his name he must hang |
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The papist, head held high |
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Says not a thing |
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The jailer binds his hands |
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And puts his blindfold to his eyes |
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He leads him through the door before the crowd |
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The hangman sees his victim |
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And the blood drains from his face: |
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He sees his younger brother standing proud |
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The hangman tries to protest |
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But is ordered to proceed |
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His trembling hands begin to take the strain |
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His eyes are blind with streaming tears |
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And he cries for all to hear: |
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Forgive me God we hang him in thy name! |
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Forgive me God we hang him in thy name! |
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Forgive me God we hang him in thy name! |
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Oh please forgive me God we hang him in thy name! |
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Forgive me God we hang him in thy name! |
