Shadow of the Gallows

Outlaw Country, Dark Country, Murder Ballad, Storyteller, Baritone Guitar, Male Vocals

[3] [A low, droning cello enters, holding a single, ominous note]
The preacher spoke of redemption, but his words just turned to rust When you’re standin’ over a man’s last breath, in a cloud of gun-smoke and dust It wasn’t for the money, it wasn’t for the fame It was for a promise broken, and the whisper of my name

[4] [A gritty, tremolo-soaked electric guitar joins, playing a haunting melody] [Drums become heavier, more insistent]
And the shadow of the gallows, it follows where I go A constant, cold companion, in the sun and in the snow Can’t outrun the hangman, can’t outrun the sin This ain’t a race you finish, it’s a hole you stumble in

[5] [Music thins out again to just the baritone guitar and the marching drum]
Heard they sent a marshal, a man who knows no fear They say he rides a pale horse, and his justice is severe I saw his silhouette this morning, on a ridge against the dawn Knew my time for runnin’ wild was gettin’ short and movin’ on

[6] [Electric guitar and cello return, more intense and desperate than before]
And the shadow of the gallows, it follows where I go A constant, cold companion, in the sun and in the snow Can’t outrun the hangman, can’t outrun the sin This ain’t a race you finish, it’s a hole you stumble in

[6] [The tremolo electric guitar takes a long, atmospheric solo for 16 bars. It's not flashy, but full of feedback, sustain, and dark, bluesy bends. The cello plays a counter-melody underneath, and the drums build in intensity.]
[7] [All music stops except for a single, repeating, low note on the cello] [Sam Pierce’s voice is almost a spoken-word growl, filled with resignation]
There’s no deal to be made, no prayer left to be said When the only thing you’ve earned is a price upon your head The wind whispers my sentence… the crows begin to call… I see that lone tree on the hill... and I know I've given all...

[8] [The full band crashes back in, heavier and more powerful than ever. The drums are like thunder, the guitars are screaming.]
And the shadow of the gallows, it’s right outside my door! That constant, cold companion, ain’t a shadow anymore! Can’t outrun the hangman, can’t outrun the sin! This ain’t a race you finish, it’s a hole you stumble in!

[9] [The funeral march drum beat returns, slowly] [The baritone guitar plays the intro riff one last time, but it's distorted and angry] [The sound of the cold wind gets louder and more violent] [Spoken Word, echoing as if from a distance] Just a hole you stumble in…
[The drum beat fades out slowly, leaving only the sound of the wind, which then dies to a final crow caw, then silence]

3115/7500

[A lone, deep baritone acoustic guitar plays a somber, minor-key riff for 8 bars] [Sound of a cold wind blowing across a desolate plain] [A crow caws in the distance] [2] [Sam Pierce sings, voice is low, gritty, and world-weary] [A slow, heavy drum beat starts, like a funeral march] The sun bleeds out across the west, another day is lost Every mile I walk just adds another layer to the frost Been sleepin’ in the ditches, with the devil for a friend Runnin’ from a memory that I know will never end [3] [A low, droning cello enters, holding a single, ominous note] The preacher spoke of redemption, but his words just turned to rust When you’re standin’ over a man’s last breath, in a cloud of gun-smoke and dust It wasn’t for the money, it wasn’t for the fame It was for a promise broken, and the whisper of my name [4] [A gritty, tremolo-soaked electric guitar joins, playing a haunting melody] [Drums become heavier, more insistent] And the shadow of the gallows, it follows where I go A constant, cold companion, in the sun and in the snow Can’t outrun the hangman, can’t outrun the sin This ain’t a race you finish, it’s a hole you stumble in [5] [Music thins out again to just the baritone guitar and the marching drum] Heard they sent a marshal, a man who knows no fear They say he rides a pale horse, and his justice is severe I saw his silhouette this morning, on a ridge against the dawn Knew my time for runnin’ wild was gettin’ short and movin’ on [6] [Electric guitar and cello return, more intense and desperate than before] And the shadow of the gallows, it follows where I go A constant, cold companion, in the sun and in the snow Can’t outrun the hangman, can’t outrun the sin This ain’t a race you finish, it’s a hole you stumble in [6] [The tremolo electric guitar takes a long, atmospheric solo for 16 bars. It's not flashy, but full of feedback, sustain, and dark, bluesy bends. The cello plays a counter-melody underneath, and the drums build in intensity.] [7] [All music stops except for a single, repeating, low note on the cello] [Sam Pierce’s voice is almost a spoken-word growl, filled with resignation] There’s no deal to be made, no prayer left to be said When the only thing you’ve earned is a price upon your head The wind whispers my sentence… the crows begin to call… I see that lone tree on the hill... and I know I've given all... [8] [The full band crashes back in, heavier and more powerful than ever. The drums are like thunder, the guitars are screaming.] And the shadow of the gallows, it’s right outside my door! That constant, cold companion, ain’t a shadow anymore! Can’t outrun the hangman, can’t outrun the sin! This ain’t a race you finish, it’s a hole you stumble in! [9] [The funeral march drum beat returns, slowly] [The baritone guitar plays the intro riff one last time, but it's distorted and angry] [The sound of the cold wind gets louder and more violent] [Spoken Word, echoing as if from a distance] Just a hole you stumble in… [The drum beat fades out slowly, leaving only the sound of the wind, which then dies to a final crow caw, then silence]

0/500