The Man they Could not hang was written and sung by Matt McGinn and is taken from the 1973 Album “Take me Back to the Jungle” and is a brilliant song and well written, telling the true story of John “Babacombe” Lee, the infamous man they couldn’t hang back in 1885 in Dartmoor prison near Exeter in Devon, England.
I first heard this song when I was about 3 years old when my grandfather gave me the album “Take me back to the Jungle”. It was a vinyl and it sat in my record collection for years until I sadly lost it years ago with a load other excellent records. As I’ve always been keen on history, I always liked this song as it passes on stories in the way that folklore has always worked.
Do feel free to give the song a listen to yourself by clicking on the video link below and let me know what you think of it in the comments section below. I’m always keen to hear what you guys think of some of the music that I share here at karalyne.com. Enjoy the song and story.
The Man they Could Not Hang by Matt McGinn
The man they Could not Hang
The song actually tells a true story here of how John Lee escaped the gallows. He was convicted of murdering his landlady and boss Emma Keys. Lee had been a handyman around the home of Keys in the Devonshire village of Babacombe. He was convicted in 1884 and sentenced to death by hanging.
However, when the time came to hang Lee 8 months later in the spring of 1885, the prison had just built a new set of gallows which Lee was to be the first guest. But little did the warders know, the prisoners who had built the gallows had left the trapdoor a couple of millimeters too wide. This presented no significant problem on the face of things and went unnoticed. The gallows were tested out using the sand bags and everything seemed to work well enough.
However, when the hanging day came, Lee was led to the gallows and ready to swing, the weight of the prison chaplain who stood on the deck to read lee his final condemnation prevented the trapdoor from opening. The prison wardens could not understand what the problem was and the hangman James Berry proceeded to try again, only for his efforts to be in vane. Still, the trapdoor wouldn’t open.
Now by law in England, they could only try to hang a prisoner 3 times and if they wouldn’t hang after that, then they would be freed from their death sentence. So after they tried hanging John Lee for the third time and failed, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. He was released about 10 years later and very little is known about what happened to him thereafter. Some research points to him having emigrated to America in 1917. But there is no solid proof that this is the same John Lee.
The fact remains however, that John “Babacom” Lee was to go down in history and be remembered for evermore to be the man they could not hang. A lucky escape.
Lyrics
There was an old hangman in Exeter,
and a fine old hangman was he
He had hanged a Thousand or more
But He couldn’t hang John Lee. John Lee!
No, he couldn’t hang John Lee
Emma Keys of Babacombe
Was rich as rich could be
She had servants in her home
and One was Johnny Lee. John Lee!
Yes, One was Johnny Lee
Johnny Lee was a bad bad man
So the story said
So they threw him into the local can
When the found old Emma dead, so dead
They found old Emma dead
The Judge he Listened to the Cons
Then he heard the Pro’s
And it was Clear that Johnny Lee
Had fewer friends than Foes, than Foes
he had fewer friends than foes
Chorus
The judge picked up his old Black cap
And he looked John in the eye
Said “It falls on me, to sentence thee
To be Hanged until ye Die” You Die!
Hanged until You die!
James Berry was the hangman’s name
And it filled his heart with Glee
When they placed into his Gentle hands
The Prisoner Johnny Lee. John Lee
The Prisoner Johnny Lee
He led him to the scaffold high
Then to John said he
“One last request I’ll grant to you”
“Close yer Trap!” said Johnny Lee. John Lee
“Close yer Trap!” said Johnny Lee
Chorus
James Berry pulled the lever High
To send John Lee Below
But he began to curse and frown
When John Lee would not go. Not Go!
When John Lee would not go
Again and then again he tried
Again and again he failed
Then word came down from London town
John Lee for a life in Jail in Jail.
John lee for a life in jail
Chorus
Twas back in eighteen Eighty Five
They tried to hang John Lee
In Nineteen Seventeen he sailed
For far Americee, did he
For Far Americee
There he went and died in bed
In Nineteen Thirty Three
Here lies the man they could not hang
And his name was Johnny Lee. John Lee!
His name was Johnny Lee!
Chorus
What do you think?
Well, I hope you enjoyed listening to this song as much as I do. As I mentioned earlier, I’m always very keen to know what others think of the music I share. So do please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions of the song here in the comments section below.
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Have a great day
Karalyne
xxx
