Ballad Of Tim Evans / Go Down You Murderer Go Down lyrics and chords
This song was also recorded by Ewan McColl and by Paddy Reilly, Hamish Imlach and Christy Moore. I have given the guitar chords in the keys of Em and Am. The sheet music for tin whistle in the key of D es included.
[Em]Tim Evans was a prisoner,
Locked [D]in his prison cell,
And [Em]those who read about his crimes,
They [G]damned his soul to [D]hell,
Sayin' [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
[Em]For the murderer of his own dear wife,
And the [D]killing of his own child,
The [Em]jury found him guilty,
And the [G]hanging judge he [D]smiled,
Sayin' [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
[Em]Tim Evans pleaded innocent,
And [D]swore by Him and high,
That he [Em]never killed his own dear wife,
Nor [D]caused his [G]child to [G]die.
Sayin' [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
So [Em]they moved him out of C block,
To his [D]final flowery dell,
And [Em]day and night to screws were there,
They [D]never [G]left his [G]cell.
Sayin' [Em]go down you [D]murderers go [Em]down.
Sometimes they played Draughts with him,
Solo and Pontoon,
To stop him brooding on the ropes,
That was to be his doom.
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down.
They brought his grub in on a tray,
There was eggs and meet and ham,
And all the snout that he could smoke
Was there at his command.
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down.
Evans walked in the prison yard,
The screws they walked behind.
He saw the sky above the wall,
But he knew no peace of mind.
Sayin' go down you murderers go down
They came for him at eight O' clock
The chaplain read a prayer,
And then they walked him to the place,
The hangman did prepare,
Sayin' go down you murderer, go down.
The rope was fixed around his neck,
A washer behind his ear.
The prison bell was tolling,
But Tim Evans did not hear.
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down.
A thousand lags were cursing,
And banging on the doors,
Tim Evans could not hear them,
He was deaf for ever more
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down.
They sent Tim Evans to the drop,
For a crime he did not do,
It was Christy was the murderer,
The judge and jury too,
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down
Locked [D]in his prison cell,
And [Em]those who read about his crimes,
They [G]damned his soul to [D]hell,
Sayin' [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
[Em]For the murderer of his own dear wife,
And the [D]killing of his own child,
The [Em]jury found him guilty,
And the [G]hanging judge he [D]smiled,
Sayin' [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
[Em]Tim Evans pleaded innocent,
And [D]swore by Him and high,
That he [Em]never killed his own dear wife,
Nor [D]caused his [G]child to [G]die.
Sayin' [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
So [Em]they moved him out of C block,
To his [D]final flowery dell,
And [Em]day and night to screws were there,
They [D]never [G]left his [G]cell.
Sayin' [Em]go down you [D]murderers go [Em]down.
Sometimes they played Draughts with him,
Solo and Pontoon,
To stop him brooding on the ropes,
That was to be his doom.
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down.
They brought his grub in on a tray,
There was eggs and meet and ham,
And all the snout that he could smoke
Was there at his command.
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down.
Evans walked in the prison yard,
The screws they walked behind.
He saw the sky above the wall,
But he knew no peace of mind.
Sayin' go down you murderers go down
They came for him at eight O' clock
The chaplain read a prayer,
And then they walked him to the place,
The hangman did prepare,
Sayin' go down you murderer, go down.
The rope was fixed around his neck,
A washer behind his ear.
The prison bell was tolling,
But Tim Evans did not hear.
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down.
A thousand lags were cursing,
And banging on the doors,
Tim Evans could not hear them,
He was deaf for ever more
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down.
They sent Tim Evans to the drop,
For a crime he did not do,
It was Christy was the murderer,
The judge and jury too,
Sayin' go down you murderers, go down
Here’s the complete chorded version in E minor (original key) with a simple folk strumming pattern that fits the slow storytelling rhythm of the song.
🎵 The Ballad of Tim Evans (Go Down Ye Murderers)
(Key: E minor)
Verse 1
[Em]Tim Evans was a prisoner,
Locked [D]in his prison cell,
And [Em]those who read about his crimes,
They [G]damned his soul to [D]hell,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
Verse 2
[Em]For the murder of his own dear wife,
And the [D]killing of his own child,
The [Em]jury found him guilty,
And the [G]hanging judge he [D]smiled,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
Verse 3
[Em]Tim Evans pleaded innocent,
And [D]swore by Him on high,
That he [Em]never killed his own dear wife,
Nor [G]caused his child to [D]die,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
Verse 4
[Em]So they moved him out of C block,
To his [D]final flowery dell,
And [Em]day and night two screws were there,
They [G]never left his [D]cell,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 5
[Em]Sometimes they played draughts with him,
Or [D]solo and pontoon,
To [Em]stop him brooding on the ropes,
That [G]was to be his [D]doom,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 6
[Em]They brought his grub in on a tray,
There was [D]eggs and meat and ham,
And [Em]all the snout that he could smoke
Was [G]there at his com[D]mand,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 7
[Em]Evans walked in the prison yard,
The [D]screws they walked behind,
He [Em]saw the sky above the wall,
But [G]he knew no peace of [D]mind,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 8
[Em]They came for him at eight o’clock,
The [D]chaplain read a prayer,
And [Em]then they walked him to the place,
The [G]hangman did pre[D]pare,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
Verse 9
[Em]The rope was fixed around his neck,
A [D]washer behind his ear,
The [Em]prison bell was tolling,
But [G]Tim Evans did not [D]hear,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 10
[Em]A thousand lags were cursing,
And [D]banging on the doors,
[Em]Tim Evans could not hear them,
He [G]was deaf for ever [D]more,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 11
[Em]They sent Tim Evans to the drop,
For a [D]crime he did not do,
It was [Em]Christy was the murderer,
The [G]judge and jury [D]too,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
🎸 Strumming Pattern
This song is typically performed slowly in 3/4 (waltz) time — mournful and steady, like a dirge.
🎵 Strumming Pattern (3/4 time):
D – D U – D U
Count: 1 – 2 & 3 &
Alternate simpler version (folk-style):
Bass – Down – Down
(Play root note with thumb, strum softly twice)
For a more haunting feel, use fingerpicking:
Beat: 1 2 3
String: 6-3 4-2 5-1
Thumb – Index – Middle
Repeat gently for each chord, letting bass notes ring.
💡 Performance Tips
Tempo: ~70–75 BPM (slow and steady)
Mood: Droning, tragic, no bright dynamics — this is a protest lament.
Optional intro riff:
e|---------0-----------|
B|-------0---0---------|
G|-----0-------0-------|
D|---2-----------2-----|
A|-2----------------2--|
E|0--------------------| (Em arpeggio)
End softly on Em, letting it ring out in silence.
🎵 The Ballad of Tim Evans (Go Down Ye Murderers)
(Key: E minor)
Verse 1
[Em]Tim Evans was a prisoner,
Locked [D]in his prison cell,
And [Em]those who read about his crimes,
They [G]damned his soul to [D]hell,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
Verse 2
[Em]For the murder of his own dear wife,
And the [D]killing of his own child,
The [Em]jury found him guilty,
And the [G]hanging judge he [D]smiled,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
Verse 3
[Em]Tim Evans pleaded innocent,
And [D]swore by Him on high,
That he [Em]never killed his own dear wife,
Nor [G]caused his child to [D]die,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
Verse 4
[Em]So they moved him out of C block,
To his [D]final flowery dell,
And [Em]day and night two screws were there,
They [G]never left his [D]cell,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 5
[Em]Sometimes they played draughts with him,
Or [D]solo and pontoon,
To [Em]stop him brooding on the ropes,
That [G]was to be his [D]doom,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 6
[Em]They brought his grub in on a tray,
There was [D]eggs and meat and ham,
And [Em]all the snout that he could smoke
Was [G]there at his com[D]mand,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 7
[Em]Evans walked in the prison yard,
The [D]screws they walked behind,
He [Em]saw the sky above the wall,
But [G]he knew no peace of [D]mind,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 8
[Em]They came for him at eight o’clock,
The [D]chaplain read a prayer,
And [Em]then they walked him to the place,
The [G]hangman did pre[D]pare,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderer, go [Em]down.
Verse 9
[Em]The rope was fixed around his neck,
A [D]washer behind his ear,
The [Em]prison bell was tolling,
But [G]Tim Evans did not [D]hear,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 10
[Em]A thousand lags were cursing,
And [D]banging on the doors,
[Em]Tim Evans could not hear them,
He [G]was deaf for ever [D]more,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
Verse 11
[Em]They sent Tim Evans to the drop,
For a [D]crime he did not do,
It was [Em]Christy was the murderer,
The [G]judge and jury [D]too,
Sayin’ [Em]go down you [D]murderers, go [Em]down.
🎸 Strumming Pattern
This song is typically performed slowly in 3/4 (waltz) time — mournful and steady, like a dirge.
🎵 Strumming Pattern (3/4 time):
D – D U – D U
Count: 1 – 2 & 3 &
Alternate simpler version (folk-style):
Bass – Down – Down
(Play root note with thumb, strum softly twice)
For a more haunting feel, use fingerpicking:
Beat: 1 2 3
String: 6-3 4-2 5-1
Thumb – Index – Middle
Repeat gently for each chord, letting bass notes ring.
💡 Performance Tips
Tempo: ~70–75 BPM (slow and steady)
Mood: Droning, tragic, no bright dynamics — this is a protest lament.
Optional intro riff:
e|---------0-----------|
B|-------0---0---------|
G|-----0-------0-------|
D|---2-----------2-----|
A|-2----------------2--|
E|0--------------------| (Em arpeggio)
End softly on Em, letting it ring out in silence.
🎵 Fingerpicking Tab — Verse 1
(Chords: Em – D – Em – G – D – Em)
Tempo: ♩ = ~70
Time: 3/4 (count “1 – 2 – 3”)
Let bass notes ring out throughout.
Em D
e|-----------0-------------|-----------2-------------|
B|-------0-------0---------|-------3-------3---------|
G|-----0---0---0---0-------|-----2---2---2---2-------|
D|---2-----------2---------|---0-----------0---------|
A|-2-----------------2-----|--------------------------|
E|0-------------------------|-2-----------------------|
"Tim Evans was a prisoner, Locked in his prison cell,"
Em G
e|-----------0-------------|-----------3-------------|
B|-------0-------0---------|-------0-------0---------|
G|-----0---0---0---0-------|-----0---0---0---0-------|
D|---2-----------2---------|---0-----------0---------|
A|-2-----------------2-----|--------------------------|
E|0-------------------------|-3-----------------------|
"And those who read about his crimes, They damned his soul to hell,"
D Em
e|-----------2-------------|-----------0-------------|
B|-------3-------3---------|-------0-------0---------|
G|-----2---2---2---2-------|-----0---0---0---0-------|
D|---0-----------0---------|---2-----------2---------|
A|--------------------------|-2-----------------2-----|
E|-2----------------------- |0------------------------|
"Sayin’ go down you murderer, go down."
🎸 Fingerpicking Pattern Summary
For each chord (3/4 time):
T – I – M – T – I – M
(Thumb → Index → Middle → Thumb → Index → Middle)
Strings by chord:
Chord Thumb (Bass) Index Middle
Em 6th 4th 3rd
D 4th 3rd 2nd
G 6th 4th 3rd
Keep a slow, steady pulse — the thumb carries the beat (like a heartbeat), while the treble strings shimmer gently.
💡 Optional Intro Riff
If you’d like to start instrumentally before singing:
e|---------0-------------0-------------|
B|-------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|-----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|---2-----------2-0-----------0-------|
A|-2-----------------------------------|
E|0------------------------------------|
(Repeat once, fade into the verse)
🕯️ Performance Tips
Keep the thumb steady — it drives the rhythm.
Use nail or fingertip on index/middle for a soft tone.
Add slight vibrato or dynamics when singing “go down you murderer...” — that’s the emotional climax of each verse.
Let open strings ring — this creates the “droning lament” sound typical of Irish ballads.
(Chords: Em – D – Em – G – D – Em)
Tempo: ♩ = ~70
Time: 3/4 (count “1 – 2 – 3”)
Let bass notes ring out throughout.
Em D
e|-----------0-------------|-----------2-------------|
B|-------0-------0---------|-------3-------3---------|
G|-----0---0---0---0-------|-----2---2---2---2-------|
D|---2-----------2---------|---0-----------0---------|
A|-2-----------------2-----|--------------------------|
E|0-------------------------|-2-----------------------|
"Tim Evans was a prisoner, Locked in his prison cell,"
Em G
e|-----------0-------------|-----------3-------------|
B|-------0-------0---------|-------0-------0---------|
G|-----0---0---0---0-------|-----0---0---0---0-------|
D|---2-----------2---------|---0-----------0---------|
A|-2-----------------2-----|--------------------------|
E|0-------------------------|-3-----------------------|
"And those who read about his crimes, They damned his soul to hell,"
D Em
e|-----------2-------------|-----------0-------------|
B|-------3-------3---------|-------0-------0---------|
G|-----2---2---2---2-------|-----0---0---0---0-------|
D|---0-----------0---------|---2-----------2---------|
A|--------------------------|-2-----------------2-----|
E|-2----------------------- |0------------------------|
"Sayin’ go down you murderer, go down."
🎸 Fingerpicking Pattern Summary
For each chord (3/4 time):
T – I – M – T – I – M
(Thumb → Index → Middle → Thumb → Index → Middle)
Strings by chord:
Chord Thumb (Bass) Index Middle
Em 6th 4th 3rd
D 4th 3rd 2nd
G 6th 4th 3rd
Keep a slow, steady pulse — the thumb carries the beat (like a heartbeat), while the treble strings shimmer gently.
💡 Optional Intro Riff
If you’d like to start instrumentally before singing:
e|---------0-------------0-------------|
B|-------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|-----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|---2-----------2-0-----------0-------|
A|-2-----------------------------------|
E|0------------------------------------|
(Repeat once, fade into the verse)
🕯️ Performance Tips
Keep the thumb steady — it drives the rhythm.
Use nail or fingertip on index/middle for a soft tone.
Add slight vibrato or dynamics when singing “go down you murderer...” — that’s the emotional climax of each verse.
Let open strings ring — this creates the “droning lament” sound typical of Irish ballads.
Chords in the key of Am.
[Am]Tim Evans was a prisoner,
Locked [G]in his prison cell,
And [Am]those who read about his crimes,
They [C]damned his soul to [G]hell,
Sayin' [Am]go down you [G]murderer, go [Am]down.
[Am]Tim Evans was a prisoner,
Locked [G]in his prison cell,
And [Am]those who read about his crimes,
They [C]damned his soul to [G]hell,
Sayin' [Am]go down you [G]murderer, go [Am]down.
