Lyrics for Hang 'Em High as interpreted by FAToAshes

Hang 'Em High Lyrics
Wait until it fades to black
Ride into the sunset
Would I lie to you?
Well I've got something to say

Grab your six-gun from your back
Throttle the ignition
Would I die for you?
Well here's your answer in spades

Shotgun sinners, wild-eyed jokers
Got you in my sights
Gun it while I'm holding on

After all is said and done
Climb out from the pine box
Well I'm asking you
'Cause she's got nothing to say
The angels just cut out her tongue
Call her Black Mariah
Would I lie to you?
That girl's not right in the brain

Mass convulsions
Strike the choir
By the grace of God
Gun it while i'm holding on
But don't stop if i fall
And don't look back
Don't stop
Bury me and fade to black

She won't stop me put it down
She won't stop me put it down
She won't stop me put it down
So get your gun and meet me by the door

She won't stop me put it down
She won't stop me put it down
She won't stop me put it down
So get your gun and meet me by the door

She won't stop me put it down
She won't stop me put it down
She won't stop me put it down
So get your gun and meet me by the door

She won't stop me put it down
She won't stop me put it down
She won't stop me put it down
So baby...

Don't stop if I fall
And don't look back
Oh baby don't stop
Bury me
And fade to black

Don't stop if I fall
And don't look back
Oh baby don't stop
Bury me
And fade to black

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AMurderofCrows
03-19-2005

Rated 0 
It helps to look at the whole concept cinematically, so Hang Em High is, to me, the part of the story where the man and the woman die in the gunfight. When he says

Mass convulsions
Strike the choir
By the grace of God
Gun it while i'm holding on
But don't stop if i fall
And don't look back
Don't stop
Bury me and fade to black

I think is the part when the man gets shot, hence "Mass convulsions, strike the choir". It's like a movie. People frequently begin to convulse when they've been shot, and the choir's singing in the background while he's holding on for dear life. And the guitar disarray in the background can be attributed to the man dying, or the woman crashing the car and both of them dying (or so the man thinks)

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girl_overboard
03-22-2005

Rated 0 
this is probably completely irrelevant but when ever i listen to this song for some reason i always picture gerard and some other person (probably a girl) running away from something or some one very dangerous in the desert and basically gerard is telling the girl that she should keep on running no matter what and that even if he falls she shouldnt stop to help him.

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Infamous Cliche
03-25-2005

Rated 0 
haha I love this song. It makes me fluffy haha. YOU SEE this is...gorgeous. Gerard sings with such a passion in his words! It's beautiful. I got the album a while ago but unfortunately for me I only listened to this song recently, and now I'm addicted. I don't know why I waited so long to hear this song. I'm such a loser.

...Gerard is pretty....walking down the street no haha. I just had to say that because I saw a picture of him today (not the first time, mind you haha) and I walk like CROESUS he's pretty haha. My friend wants to rape him backstage and have his baby. She's a little bit obsessed. Just a *little.*

later guys!

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Black Mariah
04-03-2005

Rated 0 
this song is amazing i love the "dont stop if i fall and dont look back oh baby dont stop bury me and fade to black" the first time i herd it it was my fave song and still is! that and thank you for the venom!

i think the dont stop is i fall....
part is about someone saying to the one they love even if i fall dont forget me because i'll never forget you...

MCR ROCK!!!!!!!!!!

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MCR_kick_ass
04-04-2005

Rated 0 
Firsty MCR kick ass so fuckin much! and im seein them in 2 days!!!!!!! anyways i think this part of the song means that sum1 wants to shoot some girl and shes all depressed and stuff and she doesn't car what this other dude's going to do so he's saying to himself put it down??? omg that makes no sense what so ever! ah well

she won't stop me put it down
she won't stop me put it down
she won't stop me put it down
so get your gun and meet me by the door

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rocky777
04-05-2005

Rated 0 
just a few question...are there any hardcore fans here? like...anyone stalker-level fans that know the concept of the concept album? where do they stand with God? They seem either strict believers or strict mockers/"blasphemers" of believing...anyone? This song could come from the perspective of Christ, though I kinda doubt it was written to be like that...itd be cool though...
"shotgun sinners"
"grace of God"
"angel cut out her tongue"
just wondering, I really like this song and it got me even more interested when I started looking past the amazing guitar and vocal accompaniment. 0:)

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rasberryblitz
04-06-2005

Rated 0 
This song is so extremely cool!!!! I love it when he screams "got you in my sights"! My fave part of the song! :)

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xcrimsonfairyx
04-10-2005

Rated 0 
4.10am n i've been listening to three cheers all night :) but how annoyed was i they didn't play this last week when i saw them in wulverhampton! and only three old songs! shocking!
i havn't heard them comment on religion in any interviews but i'm guessin its an interest rather than a belief if anything considering the concept of bargaining with the devil, not particularly encouraged in christianity me thinks.
i know the new album is in memory of some one called maria, wondering if "black mariah" is connected, any idea's ppl?
i'm liking all the ideas on western films, they should definately do a video of this hehe.
any way i'm rambling but i love this song, so powerful n kinda reminds me of the fighting talk in our lady of sorrows, me likey :)

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garnetfeline
04-14-2005

Rated 0 
Does anyone know what Gerard says at the end of the song where the beat goes extremely fast and heavy? It sounds like he's sayin "Argh..I wanna kill someone" but I don't think thats it..HELP!

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garnetfeline
04-14-2005

Rated 0 
I think this song is totally about Bonnie and Clyde because it was a while before they killed them and It's like Gerard is saying that no matter what they stuck together through thick and thin and "Clyde" is telling "Bonnie" to keep going if he's down...get it?

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garnetfeline
04-14-2005

Rated 0 
crimsonfairy when you look at the album page thingy for lyrics it says "In memory of Elena Lee Rush" (his grandmother) and "Maria Santos" I don't know if the names are right but its in memory of Elena and Maria

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garnetfeline
04-14-2005

Rated 0 
oh did anyone hear gerard say something inbetween "she won't stop me put it down" he says something but the song goes too fast and I can't pick it up arggh sorry for overposting i'm a fast typer and i have so much feelings for this song sorry i'f i'm annoying cus I am hehe

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Black Mariah
04-30-2005

Rated 0 
garnetfeline: i think he says ahhhhh..... holding me closer... or something like that! forgive me if i'm wrong!!!!! annnndddddd i have absolutley no idea what he says in the "she wont sotp me put it down" part i slowed it down and it still goes to fast!!!! anywas great song great band!!!!!

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CeMeTaRy_CHAPERONE
05-10-2005

Rated 0 
this song is about this man killing another man because the victims wife married him for his money[like in the song TO THE END it tells how she marries this man for his riches ] and now wants him dead and the wife wants nothing to do with it so she hires her frien which is the person that kills him in this song..and i think this is a drive-by .... by the way

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BlahBl1nkM3
05-21-2005

Rated 0 
this is definatley the coolest song on the album, i could listen to it 918375 times over and over again

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Black Mariah
05-25-2005

Rated 0 
i love this song!!!
i like the "dont stop if i fall..." part its really good!
i'm at skool now so i cant listen to it :( i love screaming the dont stop if i fall part!

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kiki_kiedis
06-03-2005

Rated 0 
i love this song... i love the video as well... makes for pretty good viewing. its on ym myspace page (www.myspace.com/i_adore_a_penthouse_view) for all those who havent seen it yet. cant remember where i found it, but when i do, i'll put it up with it.

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tuby
06-21-2005

Rated 0 
i like how this song plays with all the energy that carries through the songs and like, explodes in your face. i also like how the drumming at the beginning sounds a lot like a horse galloping. it adds to that really sweet ass western theme they got goin.

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emo_strikes_back
06-29-2005

Rated 0 
This is a crazy awesome song, and I agree with Rocky, They really do allude to religon in ALOT of their songs, I think it might have something to do with how much they talk about dying and all of the morbid stuff. That's one of the many things that are so cool about them, They can be so dark and the beat and the melody aren't really ever dreary or sad. If they are religious, I'd think they were catholic, the rosarys, you know that stuff. And as for the car in the desert, *seen it posted here alot* That's the firs thing i thought of when I heard it first. Awesome band, They rock out!

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Love It Or Leave It
07-04-2005

Rated 0 
Well if you have ever seen the video for thid song it has a message that said "To Be Continued" so on there next album they will probly have Hang 'Em High pt.2

This is my favorite song on the album.

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B12
07-15-2005

Rated 0 
I always thought they were an antichrist band, the they always use that drawing of a nun surrounded by guns or the cross surrounded by guns on their website.
but gerard sometimes goes in the opposite directions
like that game on their website which features a saint travelling through a church.
they've used the word "God" in some songs.
And i can't help but notice the design on their CD or in the booklet.

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B12
07-15-2005

Rated 0 
they're either being sarcastic or being too religious.
All these morbid lyrics and the pact with the devil aren't really encouraged by religion.

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daftkitty
08-22-2005

Rated 0 
Food for thought.... Hang 'Em High is about a man who's lynched and left for dead, who comes back for revenge. Black Mariah is a comic book character who's brother "steals her death" so she's kept alive unwillingly. Climbing out of the pine box is also a reference to coming back from death.

My take is that "don't stop if I fall and don't look back" basically says when I'm gone, leave me dead.

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tippsy
08-23-2005

Rated 0 
Ok guys. Duh, this is a bout a Western style movie.

"Grab your six-gun from your back
Throttle the ignition
Would I die for you?
Well here's your answer in spades"

This brings me a picture of the man and woman in a tight spot so to speak, and this is the moment when they will find out just how strong their bond is.

"The angels just cut out her tongue
Call her black mariah
Would i lie to you?
That girl's not right in the brain"

I hate to break it to you, but this is in no way a reference to a comic book. The Black Mariah was a hearse in the town of Tombstone which carried many bodies from the local "Nightclub" called The Birdcage. In a religouse sense, angels are typically depicted as guardians and escorts after death. So either he is talking about the angel as his escort to death (which can also be used to describe a hearse) or , seeing as the last line is "That girl's not right in the brain" it could be that the woman had commited a weird act and he is stating to call her Black mariah, as in call her hearse, shes as good as dead. I am opting the former.

"Mass convulsions
Strike the choir
By the grace of God"

I cannot believe that the choir actually gets shot up. If anyone has ever seen any a-typical goth or western style movie, when the protagonist is wounded or dies a choir or song strikes. "By the grace of God" is probably a thanks that they can go out listening to a beautiful song.

"she won't stop me put it down
so get your gun and meet me by the door"

Alright, this is the climax, so to speak. This is the point where the antagonist must decide to give in or fight, knowing that the woman will do whatever he does. He opts to keep on fighting.

"Gun it while i'm holding on
But don't stop if i fall
And don't look back
Don't stop
Bury me and fade to black"

This is the point where the protagonist takes the shot, and its very common in the story that the protagonist will want the partner to keep going, otherwise the shot is for nothing. The partner will come back later, bury the protagonst, and the scene ends.

"Fade to black"

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Yllek*HopelessHeart
08-30-2005

Rated 0 
hey guys, can anyone tell me what hang' em high means??? i'm from colombia, i'm not speak really good english...and i don't know what traduces this!? can anyone tell me please?....and also give 'em hell kid what means??? i don't know!! thankxxx!!!

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