The Hangman And The Papist Lyrics - Strawbs

The village square stands quiet 

The curfew still enforced 

The streets are even clear of dogs and whores 

Like some evil bird of prey 

The scaffold spreads its wings 

The people build their fires and bolt their doors 

The mayor is giving dinner to the officers wives 

His eldest son is learning how to fawn 

The barrack block is hushed and tense 

The soldiers drawing lots 

Who will be the hangman in the dawn? 

The lot falls on a young man 

Who has served for but a year 

His home is in the village close nearby 

He shivers at the thought of what 

Hes forced to do next day 

He wonders who it is, who has to die? 

And the full moon casts a cold light 

On the gloomy prison walls 

The papist walks his cell, he cannot sleep 

He hears the waiting gallows creaking 

Just beyond that door 

He prays for he has no more tears to weep 

The day begins to break 

A muffled drums begins to sound 

A crowd begins to gather in the square 

The presence of the hangman in his terrifying mask 

Weighs heavy on the minds of all those there 

The colonel reads the sentence 

Which the papist knows by heart 

He has failed to show allegiance to the King 

His crime is thus with God himself 

And in His name he must hang 

The papist, head held high, says not a thing 

The jailer binds his hands 

And puts his 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 streaming tears 

And 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 

Oh, please forgive me, God, we hang him in Thy name 

Forgive me, God, we hang him in Thy name