The Hanging Tree
Marty Robbins Lyrics

I came to town to search for gold
I arrived in this town with the intention of finding gold.

And I brought with me a memory
I carried a memory with me as I arrived in search of gold.

And I seemed to hear the night winds cry
I heard the sound of the night winds as I arrived in this town.

Go hang your dreams on the hanging tree
Place your dreams on the hanging tree.

Your dreams of love that will never be
Your dreams of finding love that will never come true

Hang your faded dreams on the hanging tree.
Hang your old and worn-out dreams on the same tree.

I searched for gold, and I found my gold
I was successful in my search for gold.

And I found a girl who loved just me
I met a girl who loved me unconditionally.

and I wished that I could love her, too
Although she loved me, I wished that I could reciprocate her love.

But I left my heart on the hanging tree,
I left my heart and emotions behind on that same hanging tree.

Left my heart with a memory
Left my heart with the memory of the hanging tree.

And my faded dreams on the hanging tree.
I also left my faded dreams on the same hanging tree.

Now there were men who craved my gold
There were some men who were after my gold.

And meant to take my gold from me
They were determined to steal my gold from me.

Where man is gone he needs no gold
Once a person dies, they no longer have any need for material possessions like gold.

So they carried me to the hanging tree
They took me to the hanging tree with the intent to kill me.

To join my dreams and a memory
Where my current dreams could join the existing memories on that same tree.

Yes, they carried me to the hanging tree.
They did take me to the hanging tree for sure.

To really live you must almost die
To living life to the fullest, you have to come close to death at times.

And it happened just that way with me
That is precisely what happened with me.

They took my gold and set me free
They took my gold and decided to let me live.

And I walked away from the hanging tree
I walked away from the tree that nearly took my life.

I walked away from the hanging tree
I walked away with my life intact.

And my own true love, she walked with me.
My one true love also walked away with me from that tree.

That's when I knew that the hanging tree
I realised that the hanging tree had a more significant meaning to me.

Is the tree of life, new life for me
It symbolizes a new start in my life.

The tree of hope, new hope for me,
It means that I now have renewed hope in my life.

The tree of love, new love for me,
It also symbolizes new love in my life.

The hanging tree'the hanging tree'the hanging tree.
The Hanging Tree symbolizes multiple aspects of my life.