Capo: IV
 
C          Am            Em
William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
       C            Am                 Em
With a cane that he twirled 'round his diamond ring finger
     C         Am      Em
At a Baltimore hotel society gatherin'
        C               Am         Em
And the cops was called in and his weapon took from him
        C           Am      Em
As they rode him in custody down to the station
           C          Am         Em                  G
And booked William Zanzinger for first degree murder
 
[Bridge 1]
    F   G      C            Am
But you who philosophise disgrace
    F    G          C
And criticise (all) fears
F        G    C             Am
Take the rag away from your face
F             G             C
Now ain't the time for your tears
 
C          Am             Em
William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years
C        Am            Em
Owns a tobacco farm of six hundred acres
     C            Am             Em
With rich wealthy parents who provide and protect him
         C        Am             Em
And high office relations in the politics of Maryland
  C            Am          Em
Reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulders
    C               Am                Em
And swear words and sneering and his tongue it was a-snarling
         C         Am         Em                   G
And in a matter of minutes on bail was out walking

[Bridge 1]
 
C      Am            Em
Hattie Carroll was a maid in the kitchen
        C        Am           Em
She was 51 years old and gave birth to ten children
    C           Am         Em
Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage
    C         Am          Em
And never sat once at the head of the table
    C           Am          Em
And didn't even talk to the people at the table
    C            Am         Em
Who just cleaned up all the food from the table
    C           Am            Em
And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level
    C           Am        Em
Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane
     C                  Am           Em
That sailed through the air and came down through the room
C            Am             Em
Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle
        C          Am         Em                G
And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger

[Bridge 1]

       C            Am               Em
In the courtroom of honour the judge pounded his gavel
   C               Am                 Em
To show that all's equal and that the courts are on the level
             C              Am          Em
And that the strings in the books ain't pulled and persuaded
         C        Am         Em
And that even the nobles get properly handled
C             Am               Em
Once that the cops have chased after and caught 'em
             C         Am         Em
And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom
C             Am         Em
Stared at the person who killed for no reason
         C              Am           Em
Who just happened to be feelin' that way without warnin'
       C                 Am         Em
And he spoke through his cloak most deep and distinguished
    C          Am           Em
And handed out strongly for penalty and repentance
C          Am            Em                 G
William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence
 
[Bridge 2]
       F   G      C            Am
Ah but you who philosophise disgrace
    F    G        C
And criticise all fears
F        G   C            Am
Bury the rag deep in your face
    F         G             C
For now's the time for your tears