Written by Eric Blakely/Slaid Cleaves
Intro: C F Years ago on an April day G C A crowd gathered from miles around F Over a thousand, I heard one say G C All around me on the square in town F Ladies dressed up in their best G C Kids ran around and played F They all come to see me, I guess G C Me and the sheriff and a man in chains F C The Reverend Sam began a prayer F C To the women, the men, the boys and girls F C "We are graveyard sons and daughters G Passing through an unfriendly world" C F A few last words and down he goes G C Teeth bared in an awful grin F A cheer rises up from the crowd G C As I hold him, twistin' in the wind F Men held up their babies to see G C Reporters jotted down a tale F Hawkers brought out lemonade G C And the ladies headed for the hanging day sale F From time to time these folks would come G C And all but one would walk away F I'd shudder as the rope snapped tight G C But I got used to hanging day F Now they don't gather 'round no more G C Though I'm tall and stouter still F Now they do it all behind closed doors G C They say it's a better way to kill F C The Reverend Sam began a prayer F C To the women, the men, the boys and girls F C "We are graveyard sons and daughters G Passing through an unfriendly world" C F A few last words and down he goes G C Teeth bared in an awful grin F A cheer rises up from the crowd G C As I hold him, twistin' in the wind F G One more poor boy dead and gone C Twistin' in the wind OUTRO: C