[Intro]
[Strophe]
C          Am            Em 
William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll 
       C            Am                 Em 
With a cane that he twirled 'round his diamond ring finger 
     C         Am      Em 
At a Baltimore hotel society gatherin' 
        C               Am         Em 
And the cops was called in and his weapon took from him 
        C           Am      Em 
As they rode him in custody down to the station 
           C          Am         Em 
And booked William Zanzinger for first degree murder 
G
[Refrain]
    F   G      C            Am 
But you who philosophise disgrace 
    F    G        C 
And criticise all fears 
F        G    C             Am 
Take the rag away from your face 
F             G             C 
Now ain't the time for your tears
[Strophe]
C          Am             Em 
William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years 
C        Am            Em 
Owns a tobacco farm of six hundred acres 
     C            Am             Em 
With rich wealthy parents who provide and protect him 
         C        Am             Em 
And high office relations in the politics of Maryland 
  C            Am          Em 
Reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulders 
    C               Am                Em 
And swear words and sneering and his tongue it was a-snarling 
         C         Am         Em 
And in a matter of minutes on bail was out walking 
G
[Refrain]
    F   G      C            Am 
But you who philosophise disgrace 
    F    G    C 
And criticise fears 
F        G    C             Am 
Take the rag away from your face 
F             G             C 
Now ain't the time for your tears
[Strophe]
C      Am            Em 
Hattie Carroll was a maid in the kitchen 
        C        Am           Em 
She was 51 years old and gave birth to ten children 
    C           Am         Em 
Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage 
    C         Am          Em 
And never sat once at the head of the table 
    C           Am          Em 
And didn't even talk to the people at the table 
    C            Am         Em 
Who just cleaned up all the food from the table 
    C           Am            Em 
And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level 
    C           Am        Em 
Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane 
     C                  Am           Em 
That sailed through the air and came down through the room 
C            Am             Em 
Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle 
        C          Am         Em 
And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger 
G
[Refrain]
    F   G      C            Am 
And you who philosophise disgrace 
    F    G        C 
And criticise all fears 
F        G    C             Am 
Take the rag away from your face 
F             G             C 
Now ain't the time for your tears
[Harmonica solo]
[Strophe]
       C            Am               Em 
In the courtroom of honour the judge pounded his gavel 
   C               Am                 Em 
To show that all's equal and that the courts are on the level 
             C              Am          Em 
And that the strings in the books ain't pulled and persuaded 
         C        Am         Em 
And that even the nobles get properly handled 
C             Am               Em 
Once that the cops have chased after and caught 'em 
             C         Am         Em 
And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom 
C             Am         Em 
Stared at the person who killed for no reason 
         C              Am           Em 
Who just happened to be feelin' that way without warnin' 
       C                 Am         Em 
And he spoke through his cloak most deep and distinguished 
    C          Am           Em 
And handed out strongly for penalty and repentance 
C          Am            Em 
William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence 
G
[Refrain]
       F   G      C            Am 
Ah but you who philosophise disgrace 
    F    G        C 
And criticise all fears 
F        G   C            Am 
Bury the rag deep in your face 
    F         G             C 
For now's the time for your tears