I Hung My Head, Sting, By Craig Hubbard

I Hung My Head, Sting, By Craig Hubbard

Early one morning

With time to kill

I borrowed Jebb's rifle

And sat on a hill

I saw a lone rider

Crossing the plain

I drew a bead on him

To practice my aim

My brother's rifle

Went off in my hand

A shot rang out

Across the land

The horse, he kept running

The rider was dead

I hung my head

I hung my head

I set off running

To wake from the dream

My brother's rifle

Went into the sheen

I kept on running

Into the south lands

That's where they found me

My head in my hands

The sheriff he asked me

Why had I run

And then it came to me

Just what I had done

And all for no reason

Just one piece of lead

I hung my head  

I hung my head

Here in the court house

The whole town was there

I see the judge

High up in the chair

Explain to the court room

What went on in your mind

And we'll ask the jury

What verdict they find

I felt the power

Of death and life

I orphaned his children

I widowed his wife

I begged their forgiveness

I wish I was dead

I hung my head

I hung my head

I hung my head

I hung my head

Early one morning

With time to kill

I see the gallows

Up on a hill

And out in the distance

A trick of the brain

I see a lone rider

Crossing the plain

And he'd come to fetch me

To see what they'd done

And we'd ride together

To kingdom come

I prayed for god's mercy

For soon I'd be dead

I hung my head

I hung my head

I hung my head

I hung my head

Theme [edit]

The story is told from the point of view of a young man who takes his brother's rifle out onto the hill one morning. As a rider crosses the plain, the singer takes aim ("I drew a beadon him; to practice my aim.") The rifle goes off in his hands, killing the rider.

The man runs to the salt lands, throwing the rifle into a stream. (The Cash cover changes "salt lands" to "south lands", and "stream" to "sheen". Sting supposed the latter was due to a misprint in the lyrics Cash was using.[1]) He is discovered by a sheriff, and is struck by the realization of what he has done.

He is brought before a judge and jury, where he begs forgiveness and wishes he was dead. Awaiting execution on the gallows, he sees as a "trick of the brain" the rider return, so that they will ride together "till kingdom come". The man prays to God for mercy.

Compositional structure [edit]

The song is written in compound time 9/8.[2] The curious offbeat rhythm has the effect of alternating 5-beat and 4-beat bars. The drum beat is syncopated, on the 3rd and 8th beats. In the Johnny Cash cover, the signature of the song was changed to standard 4/4.