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 chorus 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 chorus