The Hangman And The Papist

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