Two Hangmen - Mason Proffit Cover

[Cypress Knee]

Here is a cover of Mason Proffit's "Two Hangmen" from the early '70's. It is one of the earliest songs I learned. The chords I use are D A C G F#m G A for the verses and then A E G D at the end. I am playing a Guild J55-12 by label, it is really a late '90's F 512.

https://soundcloud.com/jim-adams-baltimore/two-hangmen

[s11lko]

Sounds great Jim. I love the 'twang' of a 12 string in this type of song, and your vocals were spot on too! Well done my friend.

[Cypress Knee]

Thanks - here are the original lyrics. When this came out the band opened for John Denver,Steely Dan, Mac Davis, and the Doobie Brothers. Kind of an eclectic band, anyway, here goes:

As I rode into Tombstone on my horse, his name was Mack
I saw what I'll relate to you, going on behind my back
It seems the folks were up-in-arms, a man now had to die
For believing things that didn't fit, the laws they'd set aside

The mans name was "I'm a Freak". the best that could see
He was the executioner, a hangman just like me
I geuss he'd seen loopholes from working with his rope
He'd hung the wrong man many times, so now he turned to hope
He talked to all the people from his scaffold in the square
He told them of the things he found, but they didn't seem to care
He said the laws were obsolete, a change they should demand
But the people only walked away, he couldn't understand

The marshals name was "Uncle Sam", he said he'd right this wrong
He'd make the hangman shut his mouth, if it took him all day long
He finally arrested Freak, and then he sent for me
To hang a fellow hangman, from a fellow hangman's tree
It didn't take them long to try him in their court of law
He was guilty then of "Thinking", a crime much worse than all
They sentenced him to die, so his seed of thought can't spread
And infect the little children, that's what the law had said

So the hangin' day came 'round, and he walked up to the noose
I pulled the lever, but before he fell I cut him lose
They called it a conspiracy, and that I had to die
So to close our mouths and kill our minds, they hung us side-by-side

And now we're two hangmen, hangin' from a tree
That don't bother me, at all
Two hangmen, hangin' from a tree
That don't bother me, at all

[Glennwillow]

Very cool Jim!

I don't think I realized that you had a Guild 12-string! Great sound there and very nice job! It's great to hear you play!

- Glenn

[Cypress Knee]

Hi Glenn,

Nothing like a Guild F 512, unless it is the 612!!! The closest competitor I've ever played was a Martin Jumbo 12 in rosewood that they introduced a few year ago, but they didn't make that many. I think it was a J 40-12 but am not sure.

I had wanted a Guild 12 string since I saw the cover of John Denver's "Poems, Prayers, and Promises" album. I had a G 212 a long time ago, and and F 412, but found this one about ten years ago and let the others go.

I still have a long way to go to get my tone and timing where I would like it to be, but I guess I should just put stuff out there until I finally get it right!