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Song: Wake Up John (Hanging Song) Album: Babbacombe Lee (1971) Artist: Fairport Convention (Written By Dave Swarbick and Dave Pegg) A CAPELLA (A) Wake up John, it's time to go Come along John and don't be slow Come along John, don't be slow Wake up John, it's time to go Wake up John, it's time to go INTRO Dm A x 7 G D F VERSE 1
A prAiest joins the procession Fjust to Ghelp me Akneel With a Bmwarder at my C#melbow and Danother at my Dmheel AMarching in the morning down a Fpath I've Glately Aseen I was Bmsleeping in this C#mgarden, am I Dstill within my Dmdream? The Aecho of my heartbeat is the Fbeating Gof a dArum And Bmall the earth is C#msinging with Dlife's sweet Dmhum We Afiled in solemn silence, Fshuffled Gthrough a Adoor The Bmplace where life is C#mtaken for the Gletter of the Alaw
CHORUS
AShake the holy water, Dsummon up the Eguard BDying's very Aeasy, Gwaiting's very F#mhard
VERSE 2
F#mA rope was hanging from the roof, a Bmsight which puzzles me I F#mthought a gibbet and a guard would Bmake a gallows tree But Enow all is revealed, stamped Gthere is the command My Afeet are on the trapdoor with a rope Baround my hand And Anow the executioner is Fshaking Ghands with Ame &quoBmt;My duty I C#mmust carry out,D you poor fellow,&qDmuot; says he A Arope is tied around my feet and a Fbag upGon my Ahead And Bmthen the noose which C#mseparates the Dliving from the Dmdead
CHORUS VERSE 3
F#mThere he whispers to me "Have you anything to sayBm?" My moutF#mh is dry, my throat is tight, I answer "DrBmop away" ESilence now surrounds me, my heart is beating on G The traApdoor hardly moves at all, my life is still my own B
VIOLIN SOLO A F G A x8
AThey stand me in a corner with my Fhands and Gfeet still Abound While a Bmcarpenter is C#mcalled for and an Dexplanation Dmfound "A;The rain has warped the timbersF," IG hear thAe hangman say "BmIt's funny buC#mt it worked welDl, I trieDmd it yesterday" F#m"All is mended now," they sBmay, "your ordeal's nearly over Your F#mlife's as good as ended," bBut I hear their voices waver Once Emore the bolt is shaken and aGgain I hang in limbo While the Aguards jump on the trapdoor and my body Bstands on tip-toe
CHORUS VERSE 4
They Astand me in a corner with my Fhands and Gfeet still Atied A Bmwarder holds onC#mto the noose, the Dtrapdoor opens Dmwide Is it Amagic or coincidence that Fkeeps me Gon the Abrink? It Bmseems to work withC#mout me, "WilDl it kill me nowDm?" I think F#m"Please, I'm tired of living aBmnd I really want to die" I was F#mtaken to the scaffold and I Bheard the hangman cry E"Lee, I'm truly sorryG, forgive these hands of mine" He Athree\w the bolt and I felt the jolt the Bthird and final time My F#mlife was spared that morning 'cos it Bmwasn't theirs to take F#mThree's the most the law requires, a Bman to feel the stake
CHORUS x2