The village square stands quiet with the curfew still enforced
And 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

And the mayor is giving dinner to the officers and wives
His only son is learning how to fawn
And the barrack blocks are hushed and tense the soldiers drawing locks
œWho will be the hangman in the dawn??

The lot falls on a young man who has served for about a year
His home is in the village close nearby
He shivers at the thought of what he's forced to do next day
He wonders who it is that 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 gallow creaking just beyond the door
He prays, for he has no more tears to weep

And the day begins to break, the muffled drums begin 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 that 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 gaoler binds his hands and put the blindfold to his eyes
He leads him through the door before the crowd
The hangman sees his victim and all blood drains from his face
He sees his younger brother standing proud

The hangman tries to protest but he's ordered to proceed
His trembling hands begin to take the strain
His eyes are blind with streaming tears
He cries for all to hear

œForgive me God, we hang him in Thy name!?

œForgive me God, we hang him in Thy name!?