The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll With a cane that he twirled 'round his diamond ringed finger At a Baltimore hotel society gatherin' And the cops were called in and his weapon took from him As they rode him in custody down to the station And took William Zanzinger for first-degree murder You who philosophize disgrace, criticize fear Take the rag away from your face Now ain't the time for your tears William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years He owns a tobacco farm of six hundred acres With rich wealthy parents who provide and protect him And high office relations in the politics of Maryland Reacted to his deed with a shrug of the shoulders And swear words and sneering, his tongue, it was snarling And in a matter of minutes on bail was out walking And you who philosophize disgrace, criticize fear Take the rag away from your face Now ain't the time for your tears Hattie Carroll was a maid in a kitchen She was fifty-one years old and gave birth to ten children Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage And never sat once at the head of the table And didn't even talk to the people at the table Who just cleaned up all the food from the table And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level She got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane That sailed through the air and came down through the room Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger You who philosophize disgrace, criticize fear Take the rag away from your face Now ain't the time for your tears In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel To show that all is equal and that the courts are on the level And that the strings in the books ain't pulled and persuaded And that even the nobles get properly handled Once that the cops have chased after and caught 'em That the ladder of law has no top and no bottom Stared at the person who killed for no reason Who just happened to be feelin' that way without a warnin' And he spoke through his cloak, most deep and distinguished And handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance William Zanzinger with a six month sentence You who philosophize disgrace, criticize all fears Bury the rag away deep in your face For now is the time for your tears