The Hangin' Blues

Bob Nolan
Original copyright: February 16, 1938

Willie strayed from the narrow path, ‘tweren’t lawful.
Willie strayed from the narrow path, ‘tweren’t lawful.
Willie strayed from the narrow path
And fin’lly stretched on a rope of wrath
‘Twas awful, awful, awful.

The sheriff caught him with the goods, ‘tweren’t his’n..
The sheriff caught him with the goods, ‘tweren’t his’n.
The sheriff caught him with the goods
And dragged him down thru the woods
To prison, prison, prison.

The mob broke thru the county jail and brung him.
The mob broke thru the county jail and brung him.
The mob broke thru the county jail
And to the oak tree down the trail
They hung him, hung him, hung him.

At dawn the bells in mournful tones were janglin'.
At dawn the bells in mournful tones were janglin'.
At dawn the bells in mournful tones
Chilled the air where Willie’s bones
Were danglin', danglin', danglin'.

Bob Nolan apparently used this mournful ballad in Columbia's Call of the Rockies in early 1938 when he was sole songwriter for the Charles Starrett movies, scrambling to find the requisite number of songs. (We did not personally view this film and cannot verify the use of the song.) It was registered for copyright on February 16, 1938.

The Sons of the Pioneers had recorded it for Columbia's American Record Company (ARC) the previous year but it was unissued, possibly because of its somber, un-Nolanesque mood. He had the song included in his first song folio, Bob Nolan’s Folio of Original Cowboy Classics No. 1, ©1939 by American Music USIC, Inc. The Sons of the Pioneers included it in their 1940 Symphonies of the Sage Orthacoustic radio transcriptions and it was heard across the nation, at last.

Never a popular song, it was not commercially recorded again by the Pioneers, but it was included on a "Bonanza: Ponderosa Party Time - TV's Original Cast" (1959 - 1973 Television Series) audio CD where it is sung by Dan Blocker in his role as 'Hoss' Cartwright.

The Hangin’ Blues (American Music, Inc.)

SONS OF THE PIONEERS TRANSCRIPTION RECORDINGS

Orthacoustic Symphonies of the Sage, No. 064062 (1941)

Teleways Radio Productions transcriptions, N0. 82

Lucky U Ranch radio show (courtesy of Larry Hopper)
- Transcriptions disc TR-234/235 (February 11, 1952)