The Hangin' Blues
(Bob Nolan)
Willie strayed from the narrow path, ‘tweren’t lawful.
Willie strayed from the narrow path, ‘tweren’t lawful.
Willie strayed from the narrow path
And fin’lly stretched on a rope of wrath
‘Twas awful, awful, awful.
The sheriff caught him with the goods, ‘tweren’t his’n..
The sheriff caught him with the goods, ‘tweren’t his’n.
The sheriff caught him with the goods
And dragged him down thru the woods
To prison, prison, prison.
The mob broke thru the county jail and brung him.
The mob broke thru the county jail and brung him.
The mob broke thru the county jail
And to the oak tree down the trail
They hung him, hung him, hung him.
At dawn the bells in mournful tones were janglin'.
At dawn the bells in mournful tones were janglin'.
At dawn the bells in mournful tones
Chilled the air where Willie’s bones
Were danglin', danglin', danglin'.
Bob Nolan apparently used this mournful ballad in Columbia's "Call of the Rockies" in early 1938 when he was sole songwriter for the Charles Starrett movies, scrambling to find the requisite number of songs. (We did not personally view this film and cannot verify the use of the song.)
The Sons of the Pioneers had recorded it for Columbia's American Record Company (ARC) the previous year but it was unissued, possibly because of its somber un-Nolanesque mood. He had the song included in his first song folio, "Bob Nolan’s Folio of Original Cowboy Classics No. 1", ©1939 by AMERICAN MUSIC, INC. The Sons of the Pioneers recorded it for their 1940 Symphonies of the Sage orthacoustic radio transcriptions and the public heard it at last.
Never a popular song, it has not been recorded since by the Pioneers but it was included on Bonanza: Ponderosa Party Time - TV's Original Cast (1959 - 1973 Television Series) audio CD where it is sung by Dan Blocker in his role as 'Hoss' Cartwright.
• Photocopies of the sheet music are available for purchase.
• Orthacoustic "Symphonies of the Sage" recording
Courtesy of Bruce Hickey
Courtesy of Les Adams