by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936)
Here the hangman stops his cart
Language: English
Here the hangman stops his cart: Now the best of friends must part. Fare you well, for ill fare I: Live, lads, and I will die. Oh, at home had I but stayed 'Prenticed to my father's trade, Had I stuck to plane and adze, I had not been lost, my lads. Then I might have built perhaps Gallows-trees for other chaps, Never dangled on my own, Had I left but ill alone. Now, you see, they hang me high, And the people passing by Stop to shake their fists and curse; So 'tis come from ill to worse. Here hang I, and right and left Two poor fellows hang for theft: All the same's the luck we prove, Though the midmost hangs for love. Comrades all, that stand and gaze, Walk henceforth in other ways; See my neck and save your own: Comrades all, leave ill alone. Make some day a decent end, Shrewder fellows than your friend. Fare you well, for ill fare I: Live, lads, and I will die.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936), "The carpenter's son", appears in A Shropshire Lad, no. 47, first published 1896 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles Wilfred Orr (1893 - 1976), "The carpenter's son", 1922, published 1923 [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Ramsden Williamson (1929 - 2015), "The carpenter's son - Here the hangman stops his cart" [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-08-18
Line count: 28
Word count: 172