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