Led Zeppelin – Gallows Pole

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Send "Gallows Pole" Ringtone to Cell

Hangman hangman hold it a little while
Think I see my friends coming
Riding a many mile.
Friends did you get some silver?
Did you get a little gold?
What did you bring me my dear friends
To keep me from the Gallows Pole?
What did you bring me to keep me from the Gallows Pole?
I couldn't get no silver I couldn't get no gold
You know that we're too damn poor
To keep you from the Gallows Pole.
Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while,
I think I see my brother coming,
Riding a many mile.
Brother, did you get me some silver?
Did you get a little gold?
What did you bring me, my brother,
To keep me from the Gallows Pole?
Brother, I brought you some silver,
I brought a little gold,
I brought a little of ev'ry thing
To keep you from the Gallows Pole.
Yes, I brought you to keep you from the Gallows Pole.
Hangman, hangman, turn your head awhile,
I think I see my sister coming,
Riding a many mile, mile, mile.
Sister, I implore you, take him by the hand,
Take him to some shady bower,
Save me from the wrath of this man,
Please take him,
Save me from the wrath of this man, man.
Hangman, hangman, upon your face a smile,
Pray tell me that I'm free to ride,
Ride for many mile, mile, mile.
Oh, yes, you got a fine sister,
She warmed my blood from cold,
Brought my blood to boiling hot
To keep you from the Gallows Pole,
Your brother brought me silver,
Your sister warmed my soul,
But now I laugh and pull so hard
And see you swinging on the Gallows Pole
Keep-a-swingin'!
Swingin' on the gallows pole!

Send "Gallows Pole" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by kevin

Track duration: 04:57

"Gallows Pole" as written by James Patrick (jimmy)/plant Page

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Gallows Pole song meanings
Add your thoughts

45 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:the awesome lyrics of this song, still valid to this current situation, about power, greed betrayal and hypocrisy, someone tried to bribe with silver and gold, including prostituting his sister, but still no luck, his brother still dead hanged by the hangman, and the hangman was the winner takes it all..."Swingin' on the gallows pole!"
    Flag aria1059on February 23, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the awesome lyrics of this song, still valid to this current situation, about power, greed betrayal and hypocrisy, someone tried to bribe with silver and gold, including prostituting his sister, attempts were made to atone for his sister lives hang, but still no luck, his brother still dead hanged by the hangman, and the hangman was the winner takes it all..."Swingin' on the gallows pole!"
    Flagged aria1059on February 23, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Have you guys thought about relating this song to death penalty? what elements have we got... hangman, a 'criminal' soon to be punished. Maybe the guy deserved to be killed for he was a bad person. The hangnman might have realized or even knew the criminal had to die no matter if someone gave him gold, money or a hot sister. and that's what he did...
    Flag mnecromanceron January 26, 2012   Link
    • 2 Replies
  • +1
    General Comment:That sucks, his brother payed silver, sister payed sumthin special, and he still hung.
    awsome song, hangman got the better end of this deal
    Flag zoso15128on June 23, 2010   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:i can't believe there aren't more comments on this cover, it's one of my favorite! love that banjo halfway thru the song
    Flag melvidabohemiaon June 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Meaning = obvious.

    For me, just brilliant the way Zep have adapted an old folk song - fine portrayal of the storyline. Oh and the musos do ok too hehe.
    Flag Sunnyhillon February 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh, and yes his sister slept with the hangman when he didnt have enough money to pay to save his life.
    Flag Musicfan32on November 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yes, the earliest version of "gallis pole" I know is from lead belly. Remember the Brits were influenced by American Blues and Folk music. They especially liked music from the "coloreds" which America didn't play on the radio. Lead Belly (real name Huddie Ledbetter), an African American, was born in January 1888 in Louisana, he wrote and sang many songs in the 30's and 40's including Midnight Special (covered later by ccr), Where Did You Sleep Last Night(covered by nirvana), New Orleans(House of the rising sun) and many other pop songs of today. Led Zepplin covered this song. The song is simply, It is about a black man who is going to hang. The only way for him to live is to pay the hangman. He's waiting for his family and friends to bring him silver, to bring him gold.....to bring him anything to pay the hangman to let him go. Again, not England or Europe....In the deep south in the United States. Hope this helps.
    Flag Musicfan32on November 13, 2008   Link
    • 2 Replies
  • +1
    General Comment:This song comes from a VERY old folk song. It has many many many different versions. This one being the most popular. It most of the versions the accused actually lives though. Zeppelin is the only one that kills him. Also, in the original version, it was a woman who was being hanged. She kept begging her family to bribe the hangman, but they had just came to watch her die. Eventually, her lover comes and saves her, and she puts a curse on her family. Led Zeppelin got this song from Huddie Ledbetter. His version is KICK ASS. He called it Gallis Pole though. Dylan also did a version of it called Seven Curses.
    Flag rhiannonbowlinon August 29, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:gallows pole goes back in written form to the time of henry the eighth in the fifteenth century.this english king was a great lover of song and music and i do believe he commisioned the song book that "gallis pole" was found in. this song has also been found in old saxon and scandanavian dialects all the way back to the tenth century.i believe john lomax the american music archivist listed himself and huddy leadbetter as the writers of this song to receive publishing royalties.it would be doubly ironic if zeppelin did not realize this and thought they were covering an old blues song instead of an ancient saxon folk song.
    Flag soundemind6on September 25, 2007   Link
    • 1 Reply

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain