Well they're hangin' Joe Bean this mornin' for killin' a man in Arkansas Funny thing about it Joe Bean never even heard of the man In fact Joe Bean never has been to Arkansas And to top that all today is Joe Bean's 20th birthday
See where the gallows stand Joe Bean see where the gallows stand Just twenty short years from the day you were born you'll die by the hangman's hand They're hangin' Joe Bean this mornin' for a shootin' that he never did He killed twenty men by the time he was ten he was an unruly kid But they're hangin' Joe Bean for the one shootin' that he never did See through the prison bars Joe Bean see where the gallows stand Just twenty short years from the day you were born you'll die by the hangman's hand Well your mother's in capitol city asking Governor Simms for a stay And it's really hard on her cause she knows Where you were on that particular day You were workin' Joe Bean hard workin' robbing the Santa Fe Well the telegraph wires're hummin' hear the Governor's words come through I can't set you free cause it's not up to me but this much Joe Bean I'll do I'll join your mother in extending birthday greetings to you
Happy birthday Joe Bean happy birthday Joe Bean Happy birthday dear Joe happy birthday to you
