Strawbs The Hangman and the Papist Lyrics

The village square stands quiet, the curfew's still in force
The streets are even clear of dogs and horse
Like some evil bird of prey the scaffold spreads it's wings
The people build their fires and bolt their doors

And the mayor is giving dinner to the officers and wives
His eldest son is learning how to fawn
The barrack block is hushed and tense the soldiers drawing locks
Who will be our hangman in the dawn?

The lot folds on a young man who has served for but a year
His home is in a village close nearby
He shivers at the part 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
And the papist walks his cell, he cannot sleep
He hears the waiting gallows creaking just beyond the door
He prays for he has no more tears to weep

The day begins to break, the m___led 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 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 clips the 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 a strain
His eyes are blind with streaming tears
He cries for all to hear
Forgive me God we hang him in thy name!