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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)

Text 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

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