Hanging Song Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[G]Wake up,
John, it's time to go.
Come along,
John, don't be slow.
Wake up,
John, it's time to [F]go.[C][Eb]
A [G]breeze joins the procession
just to [F]help me [G]kneel
With a [A]hoarder at my [Bm]elbow and
another [Em]at my he[Eb]el
March[G]ing in the morning down
a path I've [F]lately seen
[G]I was sle[Am]eping in this gar[Bm]den,
am [Em]I still within my [Eb]dream?
The [G]echo of my heartbeat is
the beating [F]of a drum
[G]And all[Am] the earth is sin[Bm]ging
with [Em]life's sweet [Eb]hum
We [G]filed in solemn silence,
shuffled [F]through a door
[G]The pla[A]ce where life is tak[Bm]en for
the let[Em]ter of [Eb]the law
[G]Shake the holy water,
[C]summon up [D]the guard
Dy[C]ing's very [Bm]easy, [Bb]waiting's very [A]hard
[C]A r[Em]ose is hanging from the r[C]oof,
a sign which bustles me
I [Em]thought a gibbet and a card
[A]would make gallows three
But [D]now all is revealed,
scant [F]air is the command
My [Em]feet are on the trapdoor
[E]with [A]a rope around my hand
[G]An d now the executioner
is shaking hand[F]s with m[G]e
My [A]duty I must [Bm]carry out,
[Em]you poor fellow, says [Eb]he
A [G]strap tied around my feet
and a bag upon [F]my [G]head
And [Am]then the noose which [Bm]separates
the liv[Em]ing from the [Eb]dead
[G]Shake the holy water,
summon up [C]the [D]gods
[C]Night's very [Bm]easy,
[Bb]waiting's very [A]hard
[C]Fairy [Em]whispers to me,
[C]have you anything to say?
My [Em]mouth is dry, my [E]throat is [A]tight,
I answer, drop away
[D]Silence now surrounds me,
[F]my heart is beating on
The [Em]trap door hardly moves at all,
my [A]life is still my own

[Interlude 1]
[A][G][F][G]
[F][G]
[Eb][G]
[F][G][Eb][F][G]

[Verse 2]
They [G]stand me in a corner with my
hands and feet still bound
While a [Am]carpenter is called [Bm]for
and an ex[Em]planation [Eb]found
The [G]rain has warped the timbers,
I hear the hangman say
It's [A]funny but it worked [Bm]well,
[Em]I tried it [Eb]yesterday
[Em]All is ended,
now they [C]say your ordeal's nearly over
Your [Em]life's as good as ended,
[A]but I hear their voices waver
Once [D]more the malt is showing,
and again [F]I hang in limbo
Other [Em]guards jump on the trapdoor
and my [A]body stands on tiptoe
[G]Shake the holy water,
summon up [C]the [D]guard
Dy[C]ing's very [Bm]easy,
[Bb]waiting's very [A]hard
[G]They stand me in a corner with
my [Eb]hands and feet still [G]tied
A [A]warder holds on [Bm]to the noose,
the [Em]trapdoor opens [Eb]wide
Is it ma[G]gic or coincidence
that keeps me [F]on the brink?
[G]It see[Am]ms to work wit[Bm]hout me,
well it killed [Em]me now I th[Eb]ink
[Em]Please I'm tired of living
an[C]d I really want to die
I was [Em]taken to the scaffold an
[A]d I heard the hangman cry
Lee, [D]I'm truly sorry,
[F]forgive these hands of mine
He [Em]drew the bolt and I felt the
jolt [A]for the and final time
My [Em]life was spared that morning
[C]cos it wasn't fair to take
The [Em]breeze, the boat,
the door re[A]quires a man to feel the [D]stain[F][Em][A]
[Ab]Shake [G]the holy water,
summon up [C]the [D]gods
Dy[C]ing's very [Bm]easy,
[G]wai[Bb]ting's very har[A]d
[G]Shake the holy water,
summon up [C]the [D]gods
Dy[C]ing's very [Bm]easy,
[G]wai[Bb]ting's very har[A]d
[G]Shake the holy water,
[C]summon up the [D]guard
Dy[C]ing's very [G]easy,
[Bb]waiting's very [A]hard
[A]Shake [G]the holy water,
[C]summon up the [D]guard
Dy[C]ing's very [Bm]easy,
[Bb]waiting's very hard[A][A]
[G]Shed your holy water,
[C]summon up [D]the dark.
[C]Life's [G]very easy, waiting's very [A]hard.