Gallows Pole
Page & Plant Lyrics

Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while,
The singer is pleading for the hangman to wait a little while before executing him because he sees his friends coming.

Think I see my friends comin',
The singer sees his friends coming and hopes they have brought him silver or gold to save him from the gallows pole.

Ridin many a mile.
The singer's friends have traveled a great distance to hopefully save him from being hanged.

A-friends, did you get some silver?
The artist is asking his friends if they were able to retrieve any silver to be used as payment to save him from the gallows pole.

Did you get a little gold?
The artist is also asking his friends if they were able to retrieve any gold to be used as payment to save him from the gallows pole.

What did you bring me, my dear friends,
The singer is hoping his friends were able to bring him something of value to be used as payment to save him from the gallows pole.

Keep me from the Gallows Pole?
The singer is pleading with his friends to pay for his release from being hanged.

I couldn't get no silver, I couldn't get no gold,
The artist is responding to his own question by stating that he was unable to retrieve any silver or gold to pay for his release from the gallows pole.

You know that we're too damn poor
The artist is acknowledging that they are too poor to be able to pay for his release.

To keep you from the Gallows Pole.
The artist's friends are unable to pay for his release from being hanged.

Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while,
The singer is once again pleading for the hangman to wait a little while before executing him because he sees his brother coming.

I think I see my brother comin',
The artist sees his brother coming and hopes he has brought him silver or gold to save him from the gallows pole.

Mm-brother, did you get me some silver?
The singer is asking his brother if he was able to retrieve any silver to be used as payment to save him from the gallows pole.

Ah, dya get a little gold?
The singer is also asking his brother if he was able to retrieve any gold to be used as payment to save him from the gallows pole.

A-what did you bring me, my brother,
The singer is hoping his brother was able to bring him something of value to be used as payment to save him from the gallows pole.

Keep me from the Gallows Pole?
The artist is pleading with his brother to pay for his release from being hanged.

Brother, I brought you some silver, yeah,
The artist's brother was able to retrieve some silver to pay for his release from the gallows pole.

I brought a little gold,
The singer's brother was also able to retrieve some gold to pay for his release from the gallows pole.

I brought a little of ev'ry thing
The singer's brother has brought a variety of valuable things to be used as payment to save him from the gallows pole.

To keep you from the Gallows Pole.
The artist's brother has paid for his release from being hanged.

Yes, I brought you
The artist's brother was successful in bringing valuable things to pay for his release from being hanged.

To keep you from the Gallows Pole.
The artist's brother has successfully paid for his release from being hanged.

Hangman, hangman, turn your head awhile,
The singer is asking the hangman to turn his head for a moment, possibly to avoid seeing something unpleasant.

I think I see my sister coming,
The artist sees his sister coming and hopes she can help him avoid being hanged.

Ridin' many a mile, mile, mile, mile.
The singer's sister has traveled a great distance to hopefully save him from being hanged.

Sister, I implore you, take him by the hand,
The singer is asking his sister to take the hangman by the hand, possibly to ask him for mercy.

Take him to some shady bower,
The singer is asking his sister to take the hangman to a peaceful, relaxing place to persuade him to spare his life.

Save me from the wrath of this man,
The artist is asking his sister to save him from the wrath of the hangman who is about to execute him.

Please take him,
The artist is pleading with his sister to take action to save his life.

Save me from the wrath of this mad-man.
The singer is referring to the hangman as a mad-man and is begging his sister to save him from his deadly wrath.

Hangman, hangman, upon your face a smile,
The singer notices a smile on the hangman's face and is hoping this means he has been released from being hanged.

Pray tell me that I'm free to ride,
The artist is asking the hangman to tell him that he is free to go and not be executed.

Ride for many a mile, mile, mile.
The artist is hoping to ride away for a long distance to escape from being hanged.

Oh, yes, you got a fine sister,
The hangman is telling the artist that his sister is attractive.

She warmed my blood from cold,
The hangman is telling the singer that his sister's beauty has aroused him.

She warmed my blood to boiling hot
The hangman is saying that his attraction to the artist's sister became intense.

To keep you from the Gallows Pole,
The hangman is revealing that he spared the singer's life because of his attraction to his sister.

Pole, pole, pole, yeah yeah.
The word 'pole' is repeated and could be seen as the sound of the hangman's voice as he is mocking the singer and celebrating his victory over him.

'brother brought me silver,
The singer is telling the hangman that his brother brought him silver to pay for his release from the gallows pole.

And your sister warmed my soul,
The hangman is feeling the effects of being near the artist's beautiful sister.

But now I laugh and pull so hard
The hangman is laughing out loud and straining hard at the rope to hang the artist.

And see you swinging on my Gallows Pole, yeah.
The singer is being hanged on the gallows pole while the hangman watches and celebrates his victory over him.