Seems the story of John Lee caught the attention of Matt McGinn, who wrote a song about him: on one of his CDs.

THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (JOHN LEE)                Matt McGinn

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        There was an old hangman in Exeter,
        And a fine old hangman was he,
        He had hanged a thousand or more,
        But he couldn't hang John Lee, John Lee, he couldn't hang John Lee.

1.        Emma Keyse of Babbacombe was rich as rich can be,
        She had servants in her home, and one was Johnny Lee, John Lee, and one was Johnny Lee.

2.        Johnny Lee was a bad, bad man, so the story said,
        So they threw him in the local can,
        When they found old Emma dead, so dead, when they found old Emma dead.

3.        The judge he listened to the cons, and then he heard the pros,
        And it was clear that Johnny Lee had fewer friends than most, than most, had fewer friends than most.

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4.        The judge picked up his old black cap, he looked John in the eye,
        Said, "It falls on me to sentence thee to be hanged until you die, you die, to be hanged until you die".

5.        James Berry was the hangman's name, and it filled his heart with glee,
        When they placed into his gentle hands the prisoner Johnny Lee, John Lee, the prisoner Johnny Lee.

6.        He led him to the scaffold high, and then to John says he,
        "One last request I'll grant to you".
        "Close your trap" says Johnny Lee, John Lee, "Close your trap" says Johnny Lee.

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7.        James Berry pulled the lever down to send John Lee below,
        Then he began to curse and frown, when John Lee would not go, not go, when John Lee would not go.

8.        Again and then again he tried, again and again he failed,
        Then word came down from London town, John Lee for a life in jail, in jail, John Lee for a life in jail.

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9.        'Twas back in 1885 they tried to hang John Lee,
        In 1917 he sailed for far Amerikay, did he, for far Amerikay.

10.        There he went and died in bed, in 1933,
        Here lies the man they could not hang,
        And his name was Johnny Lee, John Lee, and his name was Johnny Lee.

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