Written and recorded in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is a suicide prevention song inspired by *Cowboy* Dan Willimann. For anyone thinking about committing suicide, I offer you this interpretation of my vision.
LYRICS
I’m wondering (I wonder) how hard
Is the cement really that thick?
I wonder (I’m wondering) how hard
If I’m going to dive through…
… is there a trick
Chorus
A circle of angels singing ’round your head
When the jumper jumps, he makes his own bed
You know it’s really, really gonna smart
Right before you start to stop your heart
Should I go head first
To minimize the pain
Should I go feet first
With or agin’ the grain?
Written and recorded in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is a suicide prevention song inspired by *Cowboy* Dan Willimann after he jumped from the Chestnut Street parking garage in West Chester, Pennsylvania. For anyone that thinks suicide is the “coward’s way out”… I think not.
You know it’s really, really gonna smart
Right before you start to stop your heart
ABOUT THE SONG
Chords — Em
Start on f# and c# walkdown
Em E
E A
E B7 A E
Written and recorded in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is a suicide prevention song inspired by *Cowboy* Dan Willimann after he jumped from the Chestnut Street parking garage in West Chester, PA.
Breakdown
Written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson
Made famous by The Alan Parsons Project
A G
I break down, in the middle and lose my thread,
F A
no one can understand a word that I say
G
When I break down, just a little and lose my head,
F A
nothing I try to do can work the same way
Dm
Any time it happens, I get over it,
C A
with a little help from all my friends
Dm
Anybody else could see what's wrong with me,
C A
but they walk away and just pretend
G
When I break down
A G A 2x
A G
I break down, in the middle and lose my thread,
F A
no one can understand a word that I say
G
When I break down, just a little and lose my head,
F A
nothing I try to do can work the same way
Dm
Where are all the friends who used to talk to me,
C A
all they ever told me was good news
Dm
People that I've never seen are kind to me,
C A
is it any wonder I'm confused?
G
When I break down, when I break down
Am
Freedom, freedom, we will not obey
G Am
Freedom, freedom, take the wall away
Take the wall away
Am
Freedom, freedom, we will not obey
G Am
Freedom, freedom, take the wall away
Where are all my friends?
I'm so confused
Take the wall away
Take the wall away
Won't somebody help me?
LYRICS
What was the reason for the breakdown in reason
Was it the season
The super full moon
Crack the loon?
What was the reason for the breakdown in reason
Was it a lesion
Lack of medication
Too much meditation
Om, um, I’m
Heaven
As a matter of fact
The fact of the grey matter doesn’t matter
… what does matter
Is to realize — it’s all the I’s
Me and you, too
My thoughts have been on paying him respect.
Was it correct…
The thing society did neglect
Respect
Might not have been given to him… in hindsight.
Might, right?
… and he deserved some… deserved sum
Written and recorded on the steps of the West Chester Courthouse in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is a suicide prevention song inspired by *Cowboy Dan* after he jumped from the parking garage in West Chester, PA and Robin Williams died from self-inflicted asphyxiation. Both committed suicide during the time of the “Super Moon”.
Written and recorded on the steps of the West Chester Courthouse in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is a suicide prevention song inspired by *Cowboy Dan* after he jumped from the parking garage in West Chester, PA.
Written and recorded on the steps of the West Chester Courthouse in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is a suicide prevention song inspired by *Cowboy Dan* and based on his favorite chord.
LYRICS
It’s the law of diminishing returns
It’s quite possible to have had too much
The trick-of-the-matter… knowin’ when it burns
Churn evil n’ hatred and the brimstone such
When you’ve had too much water
… they call it drownin’
When you’re too much the doddler
… then you’re the glutton
When you’e had too much food
… they call you fat pig
When you’ve had too much blood
… the fat cat’s where you’re at
Diminishing returns
He get what he earns
We learn…
We get what we earn
LYRICS
So glad. So glad.
Can’t you get over being mad
Maybe you’re not lazy
… just can’t get over being crazy
So sad. So sad.
So glad. So glad.
Thank God for the life I’ve had
Suppose if you’re crazy
… better off picking daisies
Get glad. Get glad.
Pluck a daisy
She loves me
She loves me not
She loves me
… loves me a lot
LYRICS
When it comes to you
You’ll know what to do
When the levee breaks sure won’t be so dry
Still… there is no room upon the hill… still
Can’t just give up and die… we gotta try
To live on up to our fantasy
Turn the dream into reality
Crying won’t help… praying won’t do ya know good
Head explodes with dark forebodings thoughts… you, too?
At your time of action, you could… you should… hoping we would
“The Maid Freed from the Gallows” is one of many titles of a centuries-old folk song about a condemned maiden pleading for someone to buy her freedom from the executioner. It was recorded in 1939 as “The Gallis Pole” by folk singer Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, but the most famous version was the 1970 arrangement of the Fred Gerlach version by English rock band Led Zeppelin, which was titled “Gallows Pole” on the album Led Zeppelin III.
riff :
B --2-0-2---1-3-
G --2-0-2---0-0-
D --2-2-2---2-4-
Hangman, Hangman, hold it a little while
I think I see my friends a commin
G D riff
ridin a many mile
Friends you get a little silver, get a little gold
what did you bring me, my dear friends
G D riff
to keep me from the gallows pole
what did you bring me
G D riff
to keep me from the gallows pole
I couldn't get no silver
couldn't get no gold
you know the way they took that ball
G D riff
to keep you from the gallows pole
A D G D
Hangman, Hangman, hold it a little while
I think I see my brother commin
G D G A G A G A G A
ridin a many mile
Brother you get a little silver, get a little gold
what did you bring me, my brother
to keep me from the gallows pole
brother I brought you some silver
I brought a little gold
Brought a little of everything
to keep you from the gallows pole
Ya I brought you
to keep you from the gallows pole
Hangman, Hangman, turn your head a while
I think I see my sister commin
ridin a many mile mile mile mile
Sister I emplore you take him by the hand
take him to some shady pass and
sit him on the rock of his man
please take him
sit him on the rock of main man man
Hangman, Hangman, on your face a smile
tell me that I'm free to ride
ride for many mile
uh you've got a fine sister
she want my blood to boil
she want my blood to boil in her
to keep you from the gallows pole
Your brother brought me silver
and your sister want my sole
for now I laugh oh so hard
she's swinging on my gallows pole
for now I laugh oh so hard
she's swinging on my gallows pole
swinging on my gallows pole
swinging on my gallows pole
Written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929
Made famous by Led Zeppelin
E7* E E7** E7* 18x
C D
E7* E E7** E
If it keeps on raining, levee's goin' to break, 2x
E7* E E7** E
When the levee breaks I'll have no place to stay.
E7* E E7** E7* 2x
Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan, 2x
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home,
E7* E E7* E E7* E
Oh, well, oh, well, oh, well.
C D
E7*/E 4x
E7* E
Don't it make you feel bad
When you're trying to find your way home,
You don't know which way to go?
If you're goin' down South
They got no work to do,
If you don't know about Chicago.
E7* E E7** E7* 14x
C D
E7* E E7** E
Cryin' won't help you, praying won't do you no good,
E7* E E7** E
Now, cryin' won't help you, praying won't do you no good,
E7* E E7** E
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.
E7* E E7** E7* 2x
E7* E E7** E
All last night sat on the levee and moaned, 2x
E7* E E7** E
Thinking about me baby and my happy home.
E7* E E7* B E7* A D
E 2x
Ah ha ah ha ah ha ha ha
E7* E E7* B E7* A D E
Going, going to Chicago... Going to Chicago... sorry but I can't take you...
E7* E E7** E7* E
Going down... going down now... going down....
