Music

I Say, Hang Him

drumkit - gerald dowd
bass fiddle - john abbey
guitar - grant tye
vocal and bouzouki - robbie fulks
cello - fred lonberg-holm
accordion - john williams
piano - chris neville

I think Chekhov and John O'Hara have a common strain in their fiercely mordant portrayal of working-class types. Maybe it's a symptom of both men's resilience against idealism and even -- it's not much of an exaggeration to say -- hope.

Lyrics

It was midnight by the boatyard and the tavern light glowed dim
Just a few of the strongest were still hanging in
There was Dyson and Gottschalk, there was Shaughnessy and I
And the smoke rings gently circling

CHORUS:
Are we not men of a fair and sober mind?
Did our fathers' hands not prod this very soil?
Do the lost years
Bring a soft tear?
I say...hang him!

So his vineyards buy the leather for our feet
And a few laughs at the cathouse now and then
So he treats all
As his equal
I say...hang him!

Don’t we go home to our wives,
Our fat disgusting wives,
Almost every night?
Do the corpses of our dreams
Befoul our hills and streams?
Does the stone command the quarry?
Are we strong in number? Are we?

CHORUS:
Are we not men of a once distinguished line?
O’er the vast Eurasian land mass did we roam?
Stirs in our veins
Still an old strain?
I say...hang him!

Guitar Chords/Tab

Guitar chords/tab are not available for this song