if he swing by the string

Marlene Dietrich

If he swing by the string
He will hear the bell ring
And then there?s an end to poor Tommy

He must hang by the noose
For no hand will cut loose
The rope from the neck of poor Tommy.

Long long ago on a summer day
There in the sunlight he swung
Children were playing, the crowd was gay
This was the song that was sung

If he swing by the string
He will hear the bell ring
And then there?s an end to poor Tommy

He must hang by the noose
For no hand will cut loose
The rope from the neck of poor Tommy.

Down went the sun over Tiger Hill
Tommy was dead and gone
Gone was the crowd and the night was still
Only their soul lingered on

Chorus:
If he swing by the string
He will hear the bell ring
And then there?s an end to poor Tommy

He must hang by the noose
For no hand will cut loose
The rope from the neck of poor Tommy.
Outside a jail only yesterday
Mother was wiping a tear
People were waiting their faces grey
But their song hadn?t changed through the year

If he swing by the string
He will hear the bell ring
And then there?s an end to poor Tommy

He must hang by the noose
For no hand will cut loose
The rope from the neck of poor Tommy.

If he swing
If he swing
If he swing