[Verse 1] Morning came to Fall River And the curtains stayed closed There was something on the staircase That nobody disclosed Father had his breakfast Mother had her bed By noon the whole damn neighborhood Was whispering she's dead Lizzie wore her Sunday dress Lizzie wore it well She said, “I found my father here” Then nobody could tell [Pre-Chorus] Oh, the neighbors heard the shouting Oh, the servants heard the sound But the truth went out the window And never came back around [Chorus] Forty whacks, forty whacks Swing that little axe Everybody wants the answer Nobody gives it back Forty whacks, forty whacks Hear the ballroom crack Was it Lizzie? Was it somebody? Everybody's talking smack [Verse 2] There was blood upon the mattress There was blood upon the floor There were questions in the parlor There were questions at the door She said she couldn't tell them She said she couldn't know She said she had been upstairs She said she watched the body go And somewhere in the hallway A little shadow danced Like it knew exactly what happened But refused to take a chance [Pre-Chorus] Oh, the lawyers started smiling Oh, the papers started screaming Every photograph was evidence Every silence had a meaning [Chorus] Forty whacks, forty whacks Swing that little axe Everybody wants the answer Nobody gives it back Forty whacks, forty whacks Hear the ballroom crack Was it Lizzie? Was it somebody? Everybody's talking smack [Bridge] Lizzie, Lizzie, don't you worry Put your gloves upon the chair There's a whole town in the parlor And they're dying to be there Lizzie, Lizzie, say you're sorry Lizzie, Lizzie, say you're not If you didn't swing the hatchet Why's everybody counting? [Dance Break] (Funky post-punk bassline, four-on-the-floor electronic drums, clipped guitar stabs, icy synth arpeggio) [Verse 3] The jury took their little vacation Came back dressed in black The prosecutor had a story But the story had a crack The newspapers sold the morning The evening sold it twice Everybody had an opinion Everybody had advice And Lizzie walked out smiling Into the Massachusetts sun The case became a legend And the legend had begun [Final Chorus] Forty whacks, forty whacks Swing that little axe Everybody wants the answer Nobody gives it back Forty whacks, forty whacks Hear the ballroom crack Was it Lizzie? Was it somebody? Nobody's changing that Forty whacks, forty whacks Now the years are turning black Everybody knows the story Nobody knows the facts [Outro] Lizzie in the window Lizzie in the hall Everybody loves a mystery When somebody has to fall Forty whacks... Forty whacks... Dance until the evidence disappears.
