Cage The Elephant - The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll lyrics

William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
With a cane that he twirled
Around his diamond ring finger
At a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin'
And the cops were called in and
His weapon took from him
As they rode him in custody
Down to the station
And booked William Zanzinger
For first-degree murder
But, you who philosophize disgrace
And criticize all fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain't the time for your tears

William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years
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 his shoulders
And swear words and sneering
And his tongue it was snarling
In a matter of minutes on
Bail was out walking
But, you who philosophize disgrace
And criticize all fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain't the time for your tears
Hattie Carroll was a maid of the 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
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
But, you who philosophize disgrace
And criticize all fears
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's 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
And 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 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
Oh, but you who philosophize disgrace
And criticize all fears
Bury the rag deep in your face
For now's the time for your tears