Red Wine

Oh, pour me a drink of Italian red wine
Let me taste it and call back to mind
Once more in my thoughts, once more to my soul
This story as great, if not greater, than all

The AP news on June 24 th
Told about a Patrolman named Earl J. Vaugh
He stepped on a Main Street Trolley Car
To arrest Sacco and Vanzetti there

The article tell how Earl J. Vaugh
Is now retiring as officer of law
This cop goes down in my history
For arresting Sacco and Vanzetti that day

"Twas nineteen and twenty, the fifth of May
The cop and some buddies took these two men away
Off of the car and out and down
Down to the jail Brockton town

There's been a killing and robbery
At Slater Morrill's shoe factory
You two gents are carrying guns
And you dodged the draft when the war did come

Yes, oh yes, 'tis so, 'tis so
We made for the borders of Mexico
The rich man's war we could not fight
So we crossed the border to keep out of sight

You men are known as radical sons
You must be killers, you both carry guns
I am a night watchman, my friend peddles fish
He carries his gun when he's go lots of cash

Oh, pour me a glass of Germany's beer
Russia's hot vodka, strong and clear
Oh, pour me a glass of Palestine's Hock
Or just a moonshiner's bucket of Chock

Now, let me think, and let me see
How these two men were found guilty
How a hundred and sixty witnesses did pass by
And the ones that spoke for them was a hundred and five
Out of the rest, about fifty just guessed
And out of the five that were put to the test
Only the story of one held true
After a hundred and fifty-nine got through

And one this one, uncertain and afraid
She saw the carload of robbers, she said
And one year later, she remembered his face
After seeing this car for a second and a half

She told of his hand, his gun, his ears
She told of his shirt, and the cut of his hair
She remembered his eyes, his lips, his cheeks
And Eva Splaine's tale sent these men to the chair

I was right here in Boston the night they died
I never seen such a sight in my life
I thought those crowds would pull down the town
I was hoping they'd do it and change things around

I hoped they'd pull Judge Thayer on down
From off of his bench and chase him around
I hoped they'd run him around the stump
And stick him with devils tails 'bout every jump