The Hangman

He'll cross the desert
Top the perch
Through every mountain
Stop by church
With his stagecoach
He'll carry forth
Through the mist
A long way north
Brave every blizzard
Through the snow
Arrive in town
Before the show
He'll don his cloak
Step up to perform
The act they've all been
Waiting for

He'll hang you whole
On the gallows pole
He'll hang you cold
Make bullets gold
Lose all hope
Of cheating the rope
A mean bastard hangs
When the hangman's at home

A red trail on
The snow he leaves
His heavy tail
It weeps and grieves
He has no name
No land from which he came
And he's garnered fame
For taking names
By his side
A passenger rides
Wears the face
Of every name erased
Always tries
But can never tell
For which one he just
Rang the bell

He hangs them whole
On the gallows pole
He hangs them cold
Done what he's told
He knows nothing of
Each man his rope holds
But mean bastards hang
When the hangman's at home

He comes to a stop
The next name's on top
The last gallows pole
That ends his death toll
He sees it this time
Who's done the real crime
Lets the accused go
Takes his place and so

He's hanging whole
On the gallows pole
He's taking hold
Of his rope so cold
He throws a smile
Out his mouth so vile
A mean bastard hangs
When the hangman's at home