Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten

Subject: ADD: Half-Hanged McNaughton
From: BDenz
Date: 05 Nov 13 - 06:29 PM

Hi. FullSet (Irish band) does a killer version of this and I have gotten most of the lyrics from them, but it needs cleaning up. Anyone have the lyrics?

Half-Hanged McNaughton (per FullSet)

HALF-HANGED McNAUGHTON

Come closer to the fireside; pull in your chair
I've a story to tell you; the entire tale beware
It's a tale of tragic sorrow and dark days as well
I'm the only man here knows the tale, and I'll tell you all I know.

This talk of John MacNaghten and his darling Mary Ann
And how he came to hang that day in the town of Strabane
It's true that he shot Mary Ann; put her in the grave
Yet every lady in the land prayed that he'd be saved.

MacNaghten was a charming rogue; the finest knew his name
He dealt the cards to noble folk and played the gambler's game
But the lure of pleasant parlours and ladies grand and fair
Took all his money and his land and left him to despair.

Now with a heart that was as low as a man's heart can go
He went to his old friend Andrew Know and told him all his woe
"Come in, come in," Knox said to him. "You're welcome my good man.
Come meet my wife Honoria and my daughter Mary Ann."

Now Mary Ann was just fifteen with beauty seldom seen
With golden hair and skin so fair [which nothing bad had seen]
MacNaghten bowed and took her hand and [kissed it gracefully]
He vowed to marry Mary Ann and so their fate was sealed.

Miss Knox was so enchanted with MacNaghten's worldly way
As hand in hand they strolled the land that would all be hers someday
She said she'd rather be his wife if her father would agree
But he said he'd rather see her dead than in MacNaghten's company

MacNaghten's mind [??] to forge his final plan
Of [?? ] killing Andrew Knox and taking Mary Ann
The coach was bound for Dublin town; the Knoxes all on board.
In Strabane he made it stop with a pistol and a sword

MacNaghten thought that Mary Ann was seated on the right
He shot three times through the left and the bullets pierced her side
Andrew Knox then fired two shots; MacNaughten quickly fled
He was now a hunted man and Mary Ann was dead.

MacNaghten soon was caught and tried; they sentenced him to die
His words of love for Mary Ann brought tears to the ladies' eyes
On the gallows he was tied [ ??]; spoke no final words
He put the rope around his neck and he jumped off with great force.

But the rope broke with a mighty crack and fell down to the ground
The soldiers they all turned their backs and the people gathered round.
They called out to MacNaghten to take the chance and run
But he climbed back on the gallows as the crowd sat still and stunned

It was then he spoke his final words; his voice was cracked and dry
There was silence in the winter air and a strange look in his eye.
He said that he would rather die than live his life in shame;
He'd rather die than have Half-Hanged MacNaghten be his name!

Now the hanging of MacNaghten and the death of Mary Ann
Is known by rich and poor alike all across the land
They say it's because of love of gold that Mary Ann Knox died
But you know now the story's told they both were killed that night.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI09QTlDWmE)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton (MacNaghte
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Nov 13 - 09:04 PM

Wikipedia has an article: Half Hung MacNaghten.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Nov 13 - 10:47 PM

Here's the most detailed version of the story I can find with Google Books, from an article, "Gleanings in Family History from the Antrim Coast: The Mac Naghtens and Mac Neills" (pages 127-144) by George Hill, in Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Volume 8 (Belfast: Archer & Sons, 1860), page 134-5:

[John MacNaghten] died, when his son and successor, John MacNaghten, was only a child six years old. The career of this son was melancholy, and his fate appalling. He was born about the year 1722, and educated first at Raphoe, and afterwards in Trinity College, Dublin. Even while attending school he became addicted to gambling, and continued a slave to that vice until it finally led to his ruin. He was compelled, when very young, to sell a part of his estate and mortgage the remainder; in order to meet his gambling debts. His first wife was a daughter of Dean Daniel, and sister to Lady Masscreene. Her husband's reckless conduct was the cause of her death,—an event, however, which he sincerely deplored. His affairs soon after became desperate; but he still had influential friends who pitied him and helped him. Lord Massereene obtained for him the appointment of collector of taxes for the County of Coleraine, worth upwards of £200 a-year; and Mr. Workman, who had married his sister, became his security in a bond of £2,000. In less than two years he lost this situation, having embezzled £800 of the public money. ln an evil hour, Andrew Knox, Esq., of Prehen, near Derry, invited the now friendless MacNaghten to spend a few weeks at his house, until some other situation might offer. He instantly formed the design of marrying Miss Knox, a girl of only fifteen years of age, but an heiress in her own right. MacNaghten induced her to read over with him the marriage ceremony in the presence of a third person, and then claimed her as his wife. Her father of course, resisted, and finally set aside the claim in the Court of Delegates. When Miss Knox was afterwards being removed to Dublin, accompanied by her father and mother, MacNaghten, with a servant and two tenants, surrounded the carriage on the road, about three miles from Strabane, for the purpose, as he alleged, of rescuing his wife. Mr. Knox was attended by two or three men servants, well armed, and a scuffle instantly ensued on the carriage being stopped. Several shots were fired by both parties. MacNaghten, having been wounded in the back, came forward and fired deliberately into the carriage, with the intention of shooting Mr. Knox. The contents of the gun, however, entered Miss Knox's side, and she died after a few hours of agony, during which she uttered no complaints against any one, and only prayed fervently to be released from suffering. This melancholy affair occurred on the 10th of November, 1760. The names of MacNaghten's three associates were, George McDougall, James McCarrell, and Thomas Dunlap. Two hours after the murder, MacNaghten was taken after a fierce struggle, in which he first endeavoured to shoot his captors and then himself. McDougall and McCarrell escaped, but Dunlap was caught in a house at Ballyboggy, near Benvarden. He and his master were imprisoned in Lifford jail until the 11th of the following December, when they were both tried, found guilty of the murder, and sentenced to death. When sentence was pronounced, MacNaghten implored the judges to have mercy on Dunlap, whom he spoke of as "a poor, simple fellow, his tenant, and not guilty of any crime." MacNaghten's defence of himself at the trial drew tears from many eyes; and his general deportment afterwards was such as to make him an object of interest to the people of the town and neighbourhood of Lifford. No carpenter could be found to erect the gallows, and an uncle of Miss Knox, with the assistance of some friends, was obliged to provide one, rather than see the criminals hanged from a tree; the smith who knocked off the hand-cuffs from MacNaghten, as a preliminary to the execution required by law, did so under compulsion; and the hangman had to be brought all the way from Cavan. MacNaghten conducted himself with the greatest coolness and dignity, declaring repeatedly that the anticipation of death was much more dreadful than the reality. To make his exit as easy and speedy as possible, he adjusted the rope securely on his own neck, and ascended to the very top of the ladder before throwing himself off, that the struggle might thus be terminated in a moment. The rope broke! The immense crowd uttered a triumphant shout, and urged him to escape, making way for him in all directions. But no. He calmly remounted the ladder, remarking, as tradition affirms, that no one would ever have to point at him or speak of him as half-hanged MacNaghten. The rope was knotted and adjusted as before, and after having done MacNaghten to death, it was removed to perform the same office for his wretched tenant and associate in crime. Their bodies were buried in one grave, behind the church of Strabane.

On the death of John MacNaghten, who left no children, the Benvarden property was sold, and passed out of the family.

Subject: Lyr Add: HALF HANGED MACNAGHTEN (from FullSet)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 08:38 AM

Besides the YouTube video, I was also able to listen to this song on Spotify and at FullSet's website. (It's the last song in the SoundCloud box.) This helped a great deal. Here is the song with my corrections:


HALF-HANGED MACNAGHTEN
As recorded by FullSet on "Notes at Liberty" (2011)

1. Come closer to the fireside; pull in your chair.
I've a story to tell you; the entire tale(?) beware.*
It's a tale of tragic sorrow and the dark deeds of love.
I'm the only man here knows the truth, and I'll tell you all I know.

2. This talk of John MacNaghten and his darling Mary Ann
And how he came to hang that day in the town of Strabane.
It's true that he shot Mary Ann, put her in the grave,
Yet every lady in the land prayed that he'd be saved.

3. MacNaghten was a charming rogue; the finest knew his name.
He dealt the cards with noble folk and he played the gambler's game,
But the lure of pleasant parlours and ladies grand and fair
Took all his money and his land and left him to despair.

4. Now with a heart that was as low as a man's heart can go,
He went to his old friend Andrew Knox and told him of his woe.
"Come in, come in," Knox said to him. "You're welcome, my good man.
Come meet my wife Honoria and my daughter Mary Ann."

5. Mary Ann was just fifteen with beauty seldom seen,
With golden hair and skin so fair which nothing could exceed.
MacNaghten bowed and took her hand; she curtsied gracefully.
He vowed to marry Mary Ann and so their fate was sealed.

6. Miss Knox was soon enchanted with MacNaghten's worldly way
As hand in hand they strolled the land that would all be hers someday.
She said she'd gladly be his wife if her father would agree,
But he said he'd rather see her dead than in MacNaghten's company.

7. MacNaghten's mind went wild with rage as he formed his final plan:
He'd kill the MP Andrew Knox and take his Mary Ann.
The coach was bound for Dublin town, the Knoxes all on board.
In Strabane he made his stand with a pistol and a sword.

8. MacNaghten thought that Mary Ann was seated on the right.
He shot three times through the left; the bullets pierced her side.
Andrew Knox then fired two shots; MacNaughten quickly fled.
He was now a hunted man and Mary Ann was dead.

9. MacNaghten soon was caught and tried; they sentenced him to die.
His words of love for Mary Ann brought tears to the ladies' eyes.
On the gallows he was proud and brave; he spoke no final words.
He put the rope around his neck and he jumped off with great force.

10. But the rope broke with a mighty crack and he fell down to the ground.
The soldiers they all turned their backs and the people gathered round.
They called out to MacNaghten to take the chance and run,
But he climbed back on the gallows as the crowd sat still and stunned.

11. It was then he spoke his final words; his voice was cracked and dry.
There was silence in the winter air and a strange look in his eye.
He said that he would rather die than live his life in shame.
He'd rather die than let Half-Hanged MacNaghten be his name!

12. Now the hanging of MacNaghten and the death of Mary Ann
Is known by rich and poor alike all across the land.
They say it's because of love of gold that Mary Ann Knox died,
But you know now the story's told they both were killed by pride.


* I am still not satisfied with verse 1 line 2. It sounds like she's singing "the entire did beware" but that makes no sense.

I assume this song is newly written. FullSet's web site gives no information on its origin. I searched for old ballads about this event and found none.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 09:05 AM

"Half-hung McNaughton" any relation to "Nearly-headless Nick"? (from Harry Potter)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: BDenz
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 01:45 PM

Jim -- thanks. And I already had the history.

Nigel -- exactly what my husband asked when I played it for him. ;)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: BDenz
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 02:09 PM

Also, Jim -- There are other songs about Half-Hung (hanged) McNaughton, but none of exactly this ilk, so I suspect, too, that FullSet reworked and tweaked what existed and created the new song.

V 1 L 2 also sounds like "the entirety beware" which also makes no sense. I like yours. I'm keeping that.

Again, thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: Amergin
Date: 06 Nov 13 - 02:30 PM

I'm disappointed....I saw the title and thought it would be a dirty song....well shit.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: BDenz
Date: 24 Nov 13 - 02:36 AM

[laughing] Sorry. ;)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 14 - 06:32 AM

it's "Faint Hearted Beware" how am I the only person who heard that?
also, v 7 line 1, "swung wild with rage" these are both commonly used literary devices.
Maybe it helps that I actually own the album? And speak the language.
Otherwise nice work.
Slán!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: GUEST
Date: 17 May 14 - 08:47 PM

Yes, It's fainted hearted beware

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: BDenz
Date: 01 Jan 16 - 06:00 PM

[Just came back to this!]

Faint-hearted beware! YES!!! Thank you. Now it's clear as a bell.

And swung wild with wage works, too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Half-Hung (Hanged) McNaughton/MacNaghten
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 19 May 16 - 10:55 PM

"Swung wild with Rage"...