The Gallows Pole
By The Bureau of Internal Land Use
Folk Song – Non-Traditional Variation
Damon Williams: 12 String Guitar, Vocals, Banjo, Bass
“The Gallows Pole” is a variation of
“The Maid Freed from the Gallows”.
A folk ballad in the collection compiled by
Francis James Child in the late nineteenth century.
Like many folk songs its origin is obscure. It depicts someone condemned to hang seeking to bribe the hangman. The song has found its way down to us recorded by artists such as Led Zeppelin.