The Lonesome Death Hattie Carroll (Live at the Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA - November 21, 1975, Evening Show)

Lyrics

[Verse 1] William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger At a Baltimore hotel society gatherin' 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 [Chorus] Because you who philosophize disgrace And criticize all fear Take the rag away from your face Now ain't the time for your tears [Verse 2] William Zanzinger, who at just twenty-four years Owns a tobacco farm of six hundred acres With rich wealthy parents who providе and protect him And high office relations in thе politics of Maryland Reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulders And swearing and sneering, and his tongue, it was a-snarling And in a matter of minutes, on bail was out walkin' [Chorus] Because you who philosophize disgrace And criticize all fear Take the rag away from your face Now ain't the time for your tears [Instrumental Break] [Verse 3] Hattie Carroll was a maid in the kitchen She was fifty-one years old and gave birth to ten children She cleaned up the dishes and hauled out the garbage Never sat once at the head of the table She 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 came down through the room Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle And she never done nothin' to William Zanzinger [Chorus] Yes and you who philosophize disgrace And criticize all fear Take the rag away from your face Now ain't the time for your tears [Guitar Solo] [Verse 4] In the courtroom of honor, 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 ain'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 person who killed for no reason Who just happened to be feelin' that way without warnin' And he spoke through his cloak, so deep and distinguished Handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence [Chorus] 'Cause you who philosophize disgrace And criticize all fear Bury the rag deep in your face Now's the time for your tears