The Ballad of Sam Hall

My name it is Sam Hall, it is Sam Hall,
My name it is Sam Hall, Sam Hall,
Oh my name it is Sam Hall and I hate you one and all;
You're a crowd of buggers all   
Damn your eyes!

I killed a man they said, so they said,
I killed a man they said, so they said,
I hit him on the head, with a great big lump of lead.
And I left him there for dead
Damn his eyes!

So they put me in the quod, in the quod,
So they put me in the quod, in the quod,
So they put me into quod for the killing of that sod,
They did,so help me God
Damn their eyes!

Then the parson he did come, he did come,
Then the parson he did come, he did come,
Then the parson he did come and he talked of Kingdom Come,
He can kiss my bloody bum
Damn his eyes!

So it's up the steps I go, up I go,
So it's up the steps I go, up I go,
So up the steps I go, I see you buggers down below
All there standing in a row
Damn your eyes!

And the hangman he comes too, he comes too
And the hangman he comes too, he comes too,
The hangman he comes too, him and all his bloody crew
Now they'll tell me what to do
Damn their eyes!

I sees Molly in the crowd, in the crowd,
I sees Molly in the crowd, in the crowd,
I sees Molly in the crowd, and I hollers right out loud,
"Molly ain't you bleedin' proud
Damn your eyes!"

And now I hears the bell, hears the bell,
And now I hears the bell, hears the bell,
And it is my funeral knell, so I'll see you all in Hell
And I hopes you frizzle well
Damn your eyes!

Popularised by W.G.Ross in the 1840s, it is based on the earlier "Ballad of Jack Hall, Chimney Sweep".

Best wishes,
Paul Wetherby