Hang Him Higher Lyrics

Lyric discussion by xelris 

Cover art for Hang Him Higher lyrics by Wumpscut

I'm fairly sure this is about the Nazis and Hitler, but I ran into a small snag; otherwise it fits.

         The breed is dead our children
         They were our last resort
         To keep the tribe alive with
         At least just a final tort

This is probably referring to the the Third Reich using younger and younger children in their armed forces as the war soured. The nazis were on their way to destruction, and one of their last acts was to use their children for war. "At least just a final tort" referring to a death rattle/last gasp.

    With all his evil anger
    He came to take their souls
    Some hang on gallows bleeding
    Some lie in burning holes

Probably referring to Hitler's various exterminations. He was known to be prone to having tantrums, as well. Many victims of the Reich were hung and/or shot (gallows bleeding), many more were cremated in death camps (burning holes).

 We came we came we came
 We came to hang him higher

 We know who he was
 We know where he lives
 We know how to treat him
 Our folk never forgives

This is the snag. Who is "We"? I have two interpretations. The first is that "We" are the Nazis, who wish to persecute more victims for their imagined slights. The second is that "We" is referring to Jewish Tribunals at Nuremberg, who, after the war was over, hunted down and hung many ex-Nazi officials. Given the song thus far, I would think the first interpretation to be closer to correct... but then this stanza comes in:

 Here we stand
 And found him resting
 Out of danger at least he thinks
 And he will pay his debt now
 Grim Reaper already winks

Again, two possible interpretations, and another question: Along with "we" being in question, we now have a "he". Many Nazis involved in extermination (and many that weren't) fled the country and were subsequently hunted down, extradited and then tried for crimes against humanity, then subsequently hung. Given Hitler committed suicide by gunshot/poison (which specifically is unknown, but there is no doubt that it was not by hanging), "he" probably isn't Hitler. "He" might be a Nazi fleeing the Nuremberg trials. The other interpretation is that this is a reiteration that "We" is the nazis, hunting someone down... though this seems weaker than the tribunal interpretation.

  For all the things he did
  We want to see him hang
  Right here in our midst

This final stanza solidifies the Jewish Tribunal "we" theory. Nazis executed at Nuremberg were hung in front of the Tribunals among other officials. Such Tribunals often had Jewish representatives that survived death camps or fled the country having witnessed atrocities.

There is, finally, a third possibility. The song is referring to BOTH the tribunals and nazis as seekers of death perpetuating an endless cycle of murder, vengeance and death. While this is the least likely interpretation, it's also very much the most :Wumpscut:.