The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll Songtext
von Martin Carthy

William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
With a cane that he twirled ′round his diamond ring finger
In a Baltimore hotel society gathering
And the cops were called in and his weapon took from him
As they rode him in custody down to the station
And booked William Zanzinger for first degree murder
And you who philosophise disgrace
And criticise our fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now's not the time for your tears
William Zanzinger, aged twenty-four years
Owning a tobacco farm and six hundred acres
With rich wealthy parents to provide and protect him
And high office relatives in the politics of Maryland
Who reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulder
And swearing and sneering and his tongue it was snarling
And in a matter of minutes, on bail was out walking
And you who philosophise disgrace
And criticise our fears
Take the rag away from your face


Now′s not the time for your tears
Hattie Carroll was a maid in the kitchen
She was fifty-one years old and gave birth to ten children
Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage
And never once sat at the head of the table
Who never even spoke to the people at the table
Who just cleaned up all the food from the table
And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level
Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane
That sailed through the air and come down through the room
Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentlemens
She'd never done nothing to William Zanzinger
And you who philosophise disgrace
And criticise our fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now's not the time for your tears
In the courtroom of honour the judge pounded his gavel
To show that all′s equal and that the courts are on the level
And that the strings in the books aren′t pulled and persuaded
And that even the nobles get properly handled
Once that the cops have chased after and caught 'em
And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom
Stared at the man who killed for no reason
Who just happened to be feeling that way without warning
And he spoke through his cloak most deep and distinguished
And he handed out strongly for penalty and repentance
William Zanzinger with a six month sentence
And you who philosophise disgrace
And criticise our fears
Bury the rag most deep in your face
Now is the time for your tears