Well, it is an "interpretation"... but I assumed he was caught sleeping with a woman, probably underaged. Or maybe just unmarried, an old-fashioned idea that would fit with the old-fashioned punishment of hanging. I'd like to think they loved each other and chose to have sex even in the face of a strict society, but that's unfounded. Anyway, as the song says, he was always a free spirit, and does not regret what he did. He chose his fate; might even be considered a martyr.
Well, it is an "interpretation"... but I assumed he was caught sleeping with a woman, probably underaged. Or maybe just unmarried, an old-fashioned idea that would fit with the old-fashioned punishment of hanging. I'd like to think they loved each other and chose to have sex even in the face of a strict society, but that's unfounded. Anyway, as the song says, he was always a free spirit, and does not regret what he did. He chose his fate; might even be considered a martyr.