Sam Hall (song)

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“Sam Hall” is an old English folk song (Roud #369). Prior to the mid 19th century it was called “Jack Hall”, after an infamous English thief, who was hanged in 1707 at Tyburn. Jack Hall’s parents sold him as a climbing boy for one guinea, which is why most versions of the song identify Sam or Jack Hall as a chimney sweep.

There are many versions of the song that have been collected at different periods. Comic Minstrel C.W. Ross adapted one in the 1850s, and changed the name from “Jack Hall” to “Sam Hall”. The song also appears to have been adapted to fit the region it was sung in; some versions refer to Sam Hall being hanged at Tyburn, some at Cootehill. Also it is unclear what, if any, uncouth language was original to the song. Various versions have Sam Hall call his executioners “muckers”, “fuckers”, “buggers”, “muggers”, or “bastards”.

To add to the confusion, the song is associated with the folk song “Captain Kidd”, aka “Robert Kidd”, as William Kidd was executed in the same year. The songs have similar metre and style, and it is unknown which came first.

• Johnny Cash performed the song on Sings the Ballads of the True West (1965) and American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002). The 2002 version was often used by the band Flogging Molly as an intro for their concerts.

• Clint Eastwood recites it in the movie Two Mules for Sister Sara.

• It is referenced in Jim Thompson's first novel, Now and On Earth.

• It is also referenced in Anthony Powell's 1932 novel Venusberg

• Frank Tovey performed the song on his album Tyranny & the Hired Hand.

• The Dubliners performed a version of the song

• Steeleye Span included the song (as "Jack Hall") on the album Tempted and Tried in 1989, and also released it as a single in 1990.

• The song, performed by Terry Gilkyson, was the main musical theme of the 1956 film Star in the Dust directed by Charles Hall, with John Agar, Mamie van Doren and Charles Boone as Sam Hall in the main roles.

• Poul Anderson's 1953 novelette "Sam Hall" features a disgruntled bureaucrat who creates fake records about a rebel named Sam Hall (after the song) who fights against the totalitarian government.

• Swedish/Dutch troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk made a Swedish translation called “Mördar-Anders” on his album Visor och oförskämdheter (1965), which also included “Brev från kolonien”, a loose translation of Allan Sherman's “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh”.

• Swill (also of The Men They Couldn't Hang) and the Swaggerband recorded a version of the song for their 2006 album 'Doh, Ray, ME,ME,ME,me,me' featuring Cootehill as the location for the execution.

• Josh White did a version of the song

• Black 47 recorded a version of this song for their Green Suede Shoes album, released in 1996.

• Sam Hall is also adapted to one of the main characters in the Norwegian comic series Malkiel.

• Nick Oliveri And The Mondo Generator performed the song and included it as a hidden track on the 2006 Album "Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails".

• Tex Ritter did a version of the song on his Blood on the Saddle album.

• Richard Thompson performs it live as an encore on his 1000 Years of Popular Music collection.

• Oscar Brand performs the song on Bawdy Songs and Backroom Ballads (vol.1, 1955). In concert, e.g. Le Hibou coffeehouse, Ottawa, 1966, Brand used the following lyric: "... My name is Samuel Hall, and I hate you one and all, You're a bunch of fuckers all, Goddamn your eyes, Son of a bitch, Shit." If a young person came into the club, Brand would edit this for comic effect to "... Gall darn his eyes, Son of a Gun, Shucks."

• The Pilgrims recorded a version of this song on their album Here To Stay

• Frank Tovey from Fad Gadget recorded it on the album Tyranny And The Hired Hand