Boot leather on a barroom floor, fightin' over a dance hall girl
He pulled a knife, I pulled a gun, and I sent him home to glory
The sheriff said son, better go with me
Give me your gun and come peacefully
I can drop you right here, or you can tell the court your story
Hang me high, hang me low
They're gonna hang me in the morning
Stay away from Jericho, all you rounders,
I give you fair warning
Entered my plea, called it self defense,
a sober judge sittin' on the bench
And i stared into 24 eyes of a hard-nosed Jericho jury
They called it murder in the first degree,
The judge said, son, stand and look at me
Hang him - and may the lord have mercy
Chorus
Thirteen steps to the scaffold high,
the whole town's out just to watch me die
And not one to shed a tear of mourning
Please would you honor my last request,
when they lay me down to rest
Let the epitaph on my tombstone read this warning
Hang me high, hang me low
They went to hang me one bright morning morning
Stay away from Jericho, all you rounders,
I give you fair warning
Chorus