My name is Donald White, you see
I stand before you all
I was judged by you a murderer
And the hangman´s knot must fall
I will die upon the gallows pole
When the moon is shining clear
And these are my final words
That you will ever hear

I left my home in Kansas
When I was very young
I landed in the old Northwest
Seattle, Washington
Although I´d a-traveled many miles
I never made a friend
For I could never get along in life
With people that I met

If I had some education
To give me a decent start
I might have been a doctor or
A master in the arts
But I used my hands for stealing
When I was very young
And they locked me down in jailhouse cells
That´s how my life begun

Oh, the inmates and the prisoners
I found they were my kind
And it was there inside the bars
I found my peace of mind
But the jails they were too crowded
Institutions overflowed
So they turned me loose to walk upon
Life´s hurried tangled road

And there´s danger on the ocean
Where the salt sea waves split high
And there´s danger on the battlefield
Where the shells of bullets fly
And there´s danger in this open world
Where men strive to be free
And for me the greatest danger
Was in society

So I asked them to send me back
To the institution home
But they said they were too crowded
For me they had no room
I got down on my knees and begged
“Oh, please put me away”
But they would not listen to my plea
Or nothing I would say

And so it was on Christmas Eve
In the year of ´59
It was on that night I killed a man
I did not try to hide
The jury found me guilty
And I won´t disagree
For I knew that it would happen
If I wasn´t put away

And I´m glad I´ve had no parents
To care for me or cry
For now they will never know
The horrible death I die
And I´m also glad I´ve had no friends
To see me in disgrace
For they´ll never see that hangman´s hood
Wrap around my face

Farewell unto the old north woods
Of which I used to roam
Farewell unto the crowded bars
Of which´ve been my home
Farewell to all you people
Who think the worst of me
I guess you´ll feel much better when
I´m on that hanging tree

But there´s just one question
Before they kill me dead
I´m wondering just how much
To you I really said
Concerning all the boys that come
Down a road like me
Are they enemies or victims
Of your society?