Cannons roared, in the valley they thundered   While the guns lit up the night   Then it rained and both sides wondered   Who is wrong and who is right   On the wire like a ragged old scarecrow   Bloody hands and broken back   When they fire see him pirouette solo   Jump in time to the rat-a-tat   What a night though it's one of seven   What a night for the dancing dead   What a night to be called to heaven   What a picture to fill your head   By the wall in silhouette standing   Through a flash of sudden light   Cigarette from his mouth just hanging   Paper square to his heart pinned tight   Gather 'round reluctant marksmen   One of them to take his life   With a smile he gives them pardon   Leaves the dark and takes the light   They dispatch their precious cargo   Knock him back right off his feet   And they pray may no one follow   Better still to face the beast   When the field has become a garden   And the wall has stood the test   Children play and the dogs run barking   Who would think or who would guess