Sam Hall
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A traditional song which also appears under the name "Jack Hall", this song's earliest known textual recording is in 1719.[1] It chronicles the hanging of a young London chimney sweep by the name of Jack Hall who was sentenced to be executed for burglary in 1701. The song has made its way through the folk communities of the world.
Factoids
A book chronicling Jack Hall was written in 1708, titled Memoirs of the Right Villanous Jack Hall; a copyright-free version of the book can be found here.
Other versions of the song, originating around the same time, replace "Sam Hall" with "Captain Kidd" or "Admiral Benbow", and the verses tell of those individuals' (often fictionalized) exploits.
Lyrics
As performed in the backstage video.
Oh, me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep, chimney sweep
Oh, me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep
Oh, me name it is Sam Hall and I've robbed both great and small
And my neck will pay for all when I die, when I die
Oh, my neck will pay for all when I die
All on the King's highway night and day, night and day
All on the King's highway night and day
All on the King's highway I've robbed lords and ladies gay
And my neck will pay for all when I die, when I die
Oh, my neck will pay for all when I die
I've a hundred pounds in store, that's no joke, that's no joke
I've a hundred pounds in store, that's no joke
I've a hundred pounds in store and I'll rob for hundreds more
And my neck will pay for all when I die, when I die
And my neck will pay for all when I die
At the trial they told me, "You shall die. You shall die."
At the trial they told me, "You shall die."
And they flung me into jail where I'll drink no more strong ale
And my neck will pay for all when I die, when I die
And my neck will pay for all when I die
They drove me up Tyburn Hill in a cart, in a cart
They drove me up Tyburn Hill in a cart
They drove me up Tyburn Hill and I stopped to make my will
Oh, the best of friends must part; fare thee well, fare thee well
Oh, the best of friends must part; fare thee well
Up the ladder I did grope, that's no joke, that's no joke
Up the ladder I did grope, that's no joke
Up the ladder I did grope and the hangman fixed the rope
And ne'er a word I spoke coming down, coming down
And ne'er a word I spoke coming down
Oh me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep, chimney sweep
Oh me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep
Recordings
YouTube Videos
Full Band Streams
- The Longest Johns and Friends, March. w/Sam Brookes (22 Mar 2019)
- The Longest Johns Streamtember (4 Sep 2019)
- The Longest Johns Early Octobermas (2 Oct 2019)
- Spooktober Spectacular and Farewell to Anna Livestream (30 Ocb 2019)
- TLJ Christmas Party!! (18 Dec 2019)
- Welcome to a New Decade with The Longest Johns (22 Jan 2020)
- Live Stream, All aboard the Good Ship Valentine(ish) with The Longest Johns (19 Feb 2020)
- It's a stream! A Live stream! With The Longest Johns! (13 May 2020)
- Album Launch Party! Cures What Ails Ya, Available June 10th (Preorder Now) (10 Jun 2020)
- It's hot! Stream was a bad choice... Or was it? (24 Jun 2020)
- We Built This Stream(y) on Shant and Folk (11 Nov 2020)
- We're Going to Wellermania! (14 Apr 2021)
- STREAM (4 Aug 2021)
- Stream of Mushroom Soup (A day early to fit around touring) (23 Nov 2021)
- Ex-Stream Sports (15 Feb 2022)
- Stream Girls (27 Apr 2023)
- The League of Exstreamdinary Gentlemen (16 Apr 2025)