THE HANGING TREE
(Mack David / Jerry Livingston)

Frankie Laine

Also recorded by:
Marty Robbins


I came to town to search for gold
And I brought with me a memory
And I seem to hear the night wind cry
Go hang your dreams on the hanging tree
Your dreams of love that could never be
Hang your fated dreams on the hanging tree

I searched for gold, and I found my gold
And I found a girl who loved just me
And I wish that I could love her too
But I'd left my heart on the hanging tree
I'd left my heart with the memory
And a fated dream on the hanging tree

Now there were men who craved my gold
And they meant to take my gold from me
When a man is gone, he needs no gold
So they carried me to the hanging tree
To join my dreams and the memory
Yes they carried me to the hanging tree

To really live, you must almost die
And it happened just that way with me
They took the gold and they set me free
And I walked away from the hanging tree
I walked away from the hanging tree
And my own true love, oh yes she walked with me

That's when I knew that the hanging tree
Was a tree of life, new life for me
A tree of hope to hope for me
A tree of love to love for me
The hanging tree
The hanging tree
The hanging tree.


(Contributed/Transcribed by Bill Huntley - February 2006)