Jack Hall - Chords, Lyrics and Origins

Origins

Jack Hall is a song about a chimney sweep, turned highwayman. The historical Jack was hanged for his crimes at Tyburn in 1701. The character in the song sounds quite appealing (to me anyway :-), mainly because of his strange sense of justice ("my neck shall pay for all..."). However, if you read this account of his life, he comes across as a far less pleasant man.

See //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hall_%28song%29 for more information.

Chords

Capo at 7th Fret

            C                        F

Oh my name it is Jack Hall,

                C                          G7
Chimney sweep, chimney sweep,

            C                         F                      C
Oh my name it is Jack Hall, chimney sweep.

            F                         Dm7
Oh my name it is Jack Hall,

                    C                                     G7
And I have robbed both great and small

              C                             F
And my neck shall pay for all

              C                  G7
When I die, when I die;

             
C                             F                C
And my neck shall pay for all when I die.

Lyrics

Oh my name it is Jack Hall,
Chimney sweep, chimney sweep,
Oh my name it is Jack Hall, chimney sweep.
Oh my name it is Jack Hall,
And I've robbed both great and small,
And my neck shall pay for all
When I die, when I die
And my neck shall pay for all when I die.

I have one hundred pounds in store,
that's no joke, that's no joke,
I have one hundred pounds in store, that's no joke.
I have one hundred pounds in store
And I'll rob for four hundred more,
And my neck shall pay for all
When I die, when I die
And my neck shall pay for all when I die.

Oh the judge he did tell me,
"You shall die; you shall die."
Oh the judge he did tell me,
"You shall die." 
And they threw me into jail
where I'll drink no more strong ale
And my neck shall pay for all
When I die, when I die
And my neck shall pay for all when I die.

They drove me up Tyburn Hill
In a cart, in a cart
They drove me up Tyburn Hill in a cart.
They drove me up Tyburn Hill,
and 'twas there I made my will,
Saying, "The best of friends must part,
Fare thee well, fare thee well."
Saying, "The best of friends must part
Fare thee well."

Up the ladder I did grope,
that's no joke, that's no joke
Up the ladder I did grope, that's no joke.
Up the ladder I did grope,
and the hangman fetched his rope,
O but never a word I spoke,
coming down, coming down,
O never a word I spoke coming down.

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