The village square stands quiet,
the curfew's still in force
The streets are even clearer
of dogs and whores
Like some wild bird of prey,
the scaffold spreads its wings
The people build their fires
and bar the doors
The mayor is giving dinner
to the of ficers and wives
His eldest son is learning how to fawn
The barrack square is hushed and tense,
the soldiers drawing lots
For who will be the hangman in the dawn?
A lot for Donnie Hellman
who has served for but a year
His home is in the village close nearby
He trembles at the thought
of what he has to do next day
And he wonders who it is that has to die
The pale moon casts a cold light
on the gloomy prison wall
The papist walks his cell
and cannot sleep
He hears the waiting gallows
creaking just beyond the door
He prays for he has no
more tears to weep
The drum begins to break,
the muffled drums begin to sound
The crowd begins to gather in the square
The presence of a hangman
in his terrifying mask
Weighs heavy on the minds
of all those there
The Colonel reads a sentence
that the Papist knows by heart
He's failed to show allegiance to the King
His crime has thus withgot himself,
in his name he must hang
The Papist's head held high
says not a thing
The jailer binds his hands,
puts the blindfold to his eyes
He leads him through the door
before the crowd
The hangman sees his victim,
and the blood drains from his face
He sees his younger
brother standing proud
The hangman tries to protest,
but is ordered to proceed
His trembling hands begin
to take the strain
His eyes are blind with screaming tears,
he cries for all to hear
Forgive me, God,
we hang Him in Thy name
Forgive me, God,
we hang Him in Thy name
Forgive me, God,
we hang Him in Thy name