The village square stands quiet 
The curfew still enforced 
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 

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

The lot falls on a young man 
Who has served for but 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 who 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 gallows creaking 
Just beyond that door 
He prays for he has no more tears to weep 

The day begins to break 
muffled [bad word] begins to sound 
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 alliegence 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 puts his 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 the strain 
His eyes are blind with streaming tears 
And he cries for all to hear: 

Forgive me God we hang him in thy name! 
Forgive me God we hang him in thy name! 
Forgive me God we hang him in thy name! 
Oh please forgive me God we hang him in thy name! 
Forgive me God we hang him in thy name!