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Clifton Branham

from Right Now by Reagan Boggs

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lyrics

The sky was black as a coal mine
Pouring down the rain
I was not quite a man
Just barely sixteen
Dead broke, hungry, and starting to shiver
Made my way across Pine Mountain
To south side of Pound River

I asked around and found
Work down at a widow's place
Nancy was her daughter
And I fell for her pretty little face
Sick with fear and worry hardness in her eye
Her mama said I’d have to go
But aimed I’d have that girl or die

We ran away and it wasn’t long
Until the babies came
Made moonshine for a living
And all the revenuers knew my name
Nan prayed the Lord would tug on my heart
If I’d have been as good as she was
We’d have been a lot better off

The judge said you’re a mean and troubled man
You’ll be sent to death for the blood
You’ve shed here in the Cumberlands
My name is Clifton Branham
My legacy will be . . . . known as
The last man to hang in Wise County
The last man to hang in Wise County

Rant Smallwood killed Clell Adams
For cash and a Smith & Wesson
Was bragging Francisco was next
So I had to teach him a lesson
I headed down to Dorton with murder on my mind
We were just going about talking
Made sure to stay close behind

The night before he said he had dreamed
About fighting a big ole snake
And there was an awful feeling
That he that he just couldn’t shake
Rant said come now Clifton
Why don’t you walk up to my side
For I believe you want to kill me
I didn’t, but I sure tried

Things got a little better
But soon took a turn
The cold body of Henry Vanover
Was found so I came to learn
I took off to Tom’s Creek when they
Blamed me for that crime
They caught up with me later
Sentenced me for the rest of my life

After fourteen years of no misbehaving
Kentucky let me go
I set off for my family
I was thinking about going home
But Nancy wasn’t that dear sweet woman
I knew to be my wife
If she hadn’t accused me of daughter
She still might be alive

So I’m writing down my story
I’m running out of time
I’ll be moved from this jail
To the scaffold nearby
The wagon will be coming
To carry my coffin away
You folks had better watch me close
Cause I’ll rise up on the third day

The judge said you’re a mean and troubled man
You’ll be sent to death for the blood
You’ve shed here in the Cumberlands
My name is Clifton Branham
My legacy will be . . . . known as
The last man to hang in Wise County
The last man to hang in Wise County

credits

from Right Now, released August 15, 2007
Written by Reagan Boggs

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Reagan Boggs Bristol, Virginia

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