If He Swing by the String

If he swing by the string

He will hear the bell ring

And then there's an end to poor Tommy

He must hang by the noose

No hand will cut loose

The rope from the neck of poor Tommy

Long, long ago on a summer's day

There in the sunlight he swung

Children were playing, the crowd was gay

This was the song that was sung

If he swing by the string

He will hear the bell ring

And then there's an end to poor Tommy

He must hang by the noose

No hand will cut loose

The rope from the neck of poor Tommy

Down went the sun over Tyburn Hill

Tommy was dead and was gone

Gone was the crowd and the night was still

Only the soul lingered on

If he swing by the string

He will hear the bell ring

And then there's an end to poor Tommy

He must hang by the noose

No hand will cut loose

The rope from the neck of poor Tommy

Outside in jail only yesterday

Mother was wiping a tear

People were waiting, their faces were grey

But the song hadn't changed through the year

If he swing by the string

He will hear the bell ring

And then there's an end to poor Tommy

He must hang by the noose

No hand will cut loose

The rope from the neck of poor Tommy

If he swings

If he swings

If he swings

If he swings