Jackson Davis Lyrics by Casey Donahew
Jackson Davis was a cold assassin
He rode for the Rebel South
He hated Cole Younger with a firin’ passion
Thought Jessie James ran his mouth
He never gave a damn about the rhyme or reason
He just loved the sight of blood
He kept on killin’ when the war was over
And the dove was countin’ mud
And he’d sing
“Hang me high from a tall, tall tree
All I ever wanted was to live free
Pour a bottle of whiskey over my bones
Drive a wooden cross through a stack of stones
And tell all the girls not to cry
Because I’ll love ’em all until the day I die
‘Til the day I die”
Jackson Davis was born in Kansas
A preacher’s son to a mother’s saint
His daddy learned that there’s souls for savin’
But some souls that you can’t
Idle hands made the devil’s work
When he picked up a gun
Shot his first man when he was thirteen
His daddy prayed, “Help my son”
And he’d sing
“Hang me high from a tall, tall tree
All I ever wanted was to live free
Pour a bottle of whiskey over my bones
Drive a wooden cross through a stack of stones
And tell all the girls not to cry
I’ll love ’em all until the day I die
‘Til the day I die”
He rode with Quantrill back to Lawrence
Right down Main to the end of town
His daddy cried out when he saw Jackson
But his mama never made a sound
His mama never made a sound
Until he barred the windows and he locked the doors
And then he lit that church by the bottom floor
His daddy held a Bible and he tried to save us
But Hell had no fury like Jackson Davis
He sang, “Hang me high from a tall, tall tree
All I ever wanted was to live free
Pour a bottle of whiskey over my bones
Drive a wooden cross through a stack of stones
And tell all the girls not to cry
I’ll love ’em all until the day I die
‘Til the day I die”