Tom Dooley – English Lyrics

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

Lyrics & Translation

Learning the story behind 'Tom Dooley' offers a unique window into American history, folklore, and the power of music to preserve and transmit stories. This song, rooted in a real-life tragedy from the Appalachian Mountains, can teach you about the rich tradition of American murder ballads and the nuances of regional dialects. Its simple yet powerful lyrics and haunting melody make it an accessible and compelling song for those looking to connect with the English language through its deep cultural roots.

[English]

Throughout history

There have been many songs written about the eternal triangle

This next one tells the story of a Mr. Grayson

A beautiful woman

And a condemned man name Tom Dooley

When the sun rises tomorrow

Tom Dooley must hang

...

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley

Hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley

Poor boy, you're bound to die

I met her on the mountain

There I took her life

Met her on the mountain

Stabbed her with my knife

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley

Hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley

Poor boy, you're bound to die

This time tomorrow

Reckon where I'll be

Hadn't ha' been for Greyson

I'd been in Tennessee

Well now boy

Hang down your head and cry (Tom Dooley)

Hang down your head and cry (Poor boy)

Well a, hang down your head and cry (Tom Dooley)

Poor boy, you're bound to die

Hang down your head and cry (Tom Dooley)

Hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head and cry (Tom Dooley)

Poor boy, you're bound to die

This time tomorrow

Reckon where I'll be

Down in some lonesome valley

Hanging from a white oak tree

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley

Hang down your head and cry

Hang Down your head, Tom Dooley

Poor boy, you're bound to die

Well now boy

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley

Hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley

Poor boy, you're bound to die

Poor boy, you're bound to die

Poor boy, you're bound to die

Poor boy, you're bound to

Die

...

Key Vocabulary

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.

Key Grammar Structures

• 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.