Tom Dooley

• By: The Kingston Trio
• Album: The Kingston Trio (1959)

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
hang /hæŋ/ A2	verb - to suspend or be suspended from above
head /hɛd/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck where the brain is
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears as an expression of emotion
poor /pʊər/ A1	adjective - lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living
mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ A2	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter
knife /naɪf/ A1	noun - an instrument with a sharp blade used for cutting
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
valley /ˈvæli/ B1	noun - a low area of land between hills or mountains, typically with a river or stream flowing through it
tree /triː/ A1	noun - a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to a considerable height and bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to Earth
rises /ˈraɪzɪz/ A1	verb - get up from a sitting or lying position.
white /waɪt/ A1	adjective - of the color of milk or fresh snow, due to the reflection of all wavelengths of visible light; the opposite of black.

Grammar:

• When the sun rises tomorrow, Tom Dooley must hang.

  ➔ Modal verb "must" expressing obligation/certainty in the future.

  ➔ Here, "must" indicates a future event that is unavoidable due to a legal sentence. The use of "must hang" implies a definite execution date.

• Hang down your head, Tom Dooley.

  ➔ Imperative mood.

  ➔ This is a direct command or request. The verb "hang down" is in its base form, giving an order to Tom Dooley.

• Poor boy, you're bound to die

  ➔ "Be bound to" structure expressing certainty or inevitability.

  ➔ "You're bound to die" means it's almost certain that the subject will die. The expression emphasizes the lack of alternative outcomes.

• There I took her life.

  ➔ Simple Past tense used to describe a completed action in the past.

  ➔ The phrase indicates a single, definitive act done in the past. "Took her life" is a euphemism for killing someone.

• Hadn't ha' been for Greyson, I'd been in Tennessee

  ➔ Third conditional (unreal past condition) using a contraction. Implied: If it hadn't been for Greyson, I would have been in Tennessee.

  ➔ This sentence uses a contraction of "had not have" into "hadn't ha'" which is dialectal or archaic. The core grammar is the third conditional, which discusses a hypothetical past situation and its consequence. The speaker implies that Greyson's actions led to the present predicament of being condemned.

• Reckon where I'll be

  ➔ Use of "reckon" (dialectal) meaning "suppose" or "think". Future tense with "'ll".

  ➔ "Reckon" is less formal than "suppose" or "think" and common in some dialects. "I'll" is a contraction of "I will" and indicates future tense.

• Hanging from a white oak tree

  ➔ Present participle "hanging" used as a reduced relative clause. Full clause: (I'll be) hanging from a white oak tree.

  ➔ The phrase uses "hanging" to describe the state of the subject (implied: "I'll be"). It functions as an adjective modifying the understood subject and is a concise way to express future location/condition.