Into our town the Hangman cameSmelling of gold and blood and flameAnd he paced our bricks with a diffident airAnd built his frame on the courthouse square伴奏The scaffold stood by the courthouse sideOnly as wide as the door was wideA frame as tall or a little moreThan the capping sill of the courthouse door伴奏And we wondered, we had the timeWho the criminal, what the crimeThe Hangman judged with the yellow twistOf knotted hemp in his busy fist伴奏And innocent though we were with dreadWe passed those eyes of buckshot leadTill one cried, Hangman, who is heFor whom you raise the gallows tree伴奏A twinkle grew in the buckshot eyeHe gave us a riddle instead of replyHe who served me the best, said heShall earn the rope on the gallows tree伴奏The next day's sun looked mildly downOn roof and street in our quiet townStark and black in the morning airThe gallows tree on the courthouse square
