"This is a protest song, probably the first one I ever wrote.
It's an interesting song because a lot of (people) took it literally.
And they never heard the last line that says, 'but remember, they're
going to hang you, too'. They missed that."

There's a murderer in your town Mister
There were seven unsolved last year
There's a murderer in your town Mister
How long has he been living here?

If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
If they hang 'em all they cannot miss
If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
Been a lot of problem solved like this.

There's a thief in your town Mister
This morning my milk was gone
There's a thief in your town Mister
How long has this been going on?

If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
If they hang 'em all they cannot miss
If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
Been a lot of problem solved like this.

There's a cheater in your town Mister
Last night I saw him in a bar
There's a cheater in your town Mister
Is that the kind of people you are?

If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
If they hang 'em all they cannot miss
If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
Been a lot of problem solved like this.

There's a hypocrite in your town Mister
I think I caught him in a lie
There's a hypocrite in your town Mister
Are you gonna let that go by?

If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
That's what you say we ought to do
If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
But remember they're gonna hang you too.

If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
If they hang 'em all they cannot miss
If they hang 'em all they get the guilty
Been a lot of problem solved like this...