PART I
A dark and cold December night
When he had done a crime
The jury heard, he said the words
That didn't seem to rhyme
How could a man so young and wise
Could do that in his prime?
The woman whom he loved so much
Did not make a sound
She could not weep and went to sleep
With dead then he was found
He couldn't remember that cold December
To death was he now bound
He thought about his murdered wife
Sitting in prison cell
The warden kept an eye on him
He heard the tolling bell
Another man was going to swing
He knew that very well
With death loitering in his eyes
He passed by his cell
With head so down he looked so brown
His fate he could not tell
The hangman standing close at hand
In an empty place, he fell
Another day, he knelt to pray
He looked upon the sky
He looked at another man
Who was going to die
He passed by him, he felt so dim
He looked with soulless eye
With knife he killed the one he loved
His wife so soon grew cold
In his yard, he wept so hard
For love he had to sold
With blood on hand, he could not stand
He had killed his world
With such a wistful eye he had
He spent his night and day
He knew his fate, he had to wait
To hell his soul will stray
He knelt to God to get a nod
He had no other way
Some kill their love, some die for them
Some regret and others smile
Yet each man loves the thing he has
Yet in a different style
Some walk on the same path
Some walk a different mile
For once or twice or may be thrice
Each one does wrong
Some go to dance, have another chance
Some try to sing a song
Some try to know, why is it so
For all we have to long?
Some laugh too low, some too loud
Some sob and others cry
The trial men all faced the pen
For some, things went awry
But the man had killed the one he loved
And so he had to die
PART II
Six weeks he had been in the gaol
There was no night when he had slept
Each night he knelt to pray to God
The warden witnessed how he wept
Why did he kill the one he loved?
A secret he had kept
The woman whom he loved so much
Did not make a sound
He could not weep and went to sleep
With dead then he was found
His dark regret he could not forget
When he walked on prison ground
Each day the hangman did his job
Each day someone had to die
He saw his wife, he held the knife
As dreams kept on passing by
With cloth on face and dark disgrace
Someday he would be swinging high
The wardens saw him night and day
They saw him when he dreamed
They saw him when he knelt to God
They saw him when he screamed
But one day he'd be there no more
His day was coming, so it seemed
With shame on face, he tried to erase
The memories from his mind
And when he cried, he could not hide
And peace he could not find
He used the knife to kill his wife
He thought that he was kind?
So bad he was, said the laws
He did a violent thing
With shame he ran, to the hangman
What could a hangman bring?
Murmuring low his voice said so
"So soon you're going to swing"
He ruined his life with one mistake
He had no second chance
How could he think, of a jolly drink
In gaol he could not dance
"L'ange de la mort viendra bientôt"
As he heard them say in France!
With a sweet rhyme, a midnight hymn
The warden heard him sing
He heard his hymn and checked the time
And heard the music of his strings
He sang again, what could he gain?
So soon he had to swing
With such a wistful eye he had
He spent his night and day
He could not talk, and when he walked
He had no word to say
With voice so bold, the sheriff told
"Death is coming your way"
He tried to refrain from scorching pain
With sun shining high
"Free that prisoner", said the Governor
For he was an innocent guy
But the man had killed the one he loved
And so he had to die
PART III
While sitting in his prison cell
He stood up on his feet
Nothing to steal, he could not feel
He tried so hard to eat
He was so blue, he had no clue
The fate he was to meetThe woman whom he loved so much
did not make a sound
She could not weep and went to sleep
With dead then he was found
In January snow, with head so low
He touched the white ground
His day was near, he could not hear
The words that warden said
With such a debt, his hand was wet
With blood that he had bled
And days so few, in morning dew
He wept inside his head
It rained so hard, saw prison guard
He looked upon the sky
He knew so well, the fire in hell
The place he was to fly
With tears in eyes and clouds in sky
He watched them sailing by
Three days had passed, he did not sleep
The clock was ticking away
Tick tock the hammers he could count
So short was his stay
The midnight came, with utmost shame
He could see his body sway
The hangman finally came his way
The rope around his neck
With cloth on face and dark disgrace
The sheriff made a check
He smiled and threw a card so wild
The joker in the deck
The sheriff asked for one last wish
He had no wish to say
No wish no will and with a skill
The hangman did his play
With such a grin, to end a sin
All colors looked so gray
The hangman did his job so well
The prisoner lived in cell no more
The rope around his neck so tight
His body dancing above the floor
His eyes so green could not be seen
With cloth that he wore
They left him there, they left him bare
They left him swinging high
Up above and like a dove
He left the ground to flyThe man had killed the thing he loved
And so he had to die
A nameless grave was made for him
Along with many more
He moved his hand, he made his stand
He closed the opened door
The man had killed the one he loved
And so he lived no more
