"Hangman Jury" is a song by American rock band
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...
. It was released as a
promotional single
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
in 1987 on the album ''
Permanent Vacation''. It was written by lead singer
Steven Tyler, guitarist
Joe Perry, and outside collaborator
Jim Vallance
James Douglas Vallance (born May 31, 1952) is a Canadian songwriter, arranger and producer. He is best known as the songwriting partner of Canadian musician Bryan Adams. Vallance began his professional career as the original drummer and main song ...
.
[ In contrast with the rest of the album which contains highly polished ]glam metal
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...
, the song is a mostly blues song. The chorus has a close similarity to "Linin' Track" by Lead Belly
Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk music, folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, Virtuoso, virtuosity on the twelve-string guita ...
.
Background
Perry said of writing the song when sober that "when the riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
to 'Hangman Jury' came flying off an old funky Silvertone guitar I had found, I was relieved. The music was there. The music was always there. The music for 'Hangman' reflected the rapport I'd always felt for Taj Mahal's deep-rooted blues. I knew we were off to a good start. I kept telling myself that, as a sober kid, I had loved music. The excitement and drive were built in, not supplied by a bottle or a drug."
Perry claimed that the praise for this song was his biggest surprise of the ''Permanent Vacation'' album. He received praise for the song from everyone from his 14-year-old son to hip hop record producer Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records.
Rubin helped popula ...
.[ Rubin said, "I like this one, and I like that one, but you know, I really like 'Hangman Jury.' It's interesting, the spectrum of people who pick up on that."][
Perry felt that with the song's "acoustic ]bottleneck guitar
Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...
work and spooky country-blues overtones" it is "a perfect example of Aerosmith seeing 'how gritty we can make it'".[
According to Aerosmith biographer Martin Power, Tyler got the idea for the song from a record by ]Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...
, who got the phrase "if I surely could" which most interested Tyler from Lead Belly, who got it from a chant that had been sung by slaves on southern US cotton fields. Aerosmith received permission from Taj Mahal to adapt his song, but Lead Belly's estate sued the band for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, s ...
.
Power describes "Hangman Jury" as "a remarkably powerful song detailing the murder of a wife at the hands of her husband, his dark reasoning for the deed and the terrible consequences to be faced", also saying that it is an example of Aerosmith trying and succeeding to do something different.[ He describes Tyler's vocal performance as "insightful and chilling" and Perry's guitar playing as "invoking the ghost of ]Robert Johnson
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...
".[ Power also notes that performances of "Hangman Jury" were a highlight of the ''Permanent Vacation'' tour.][ Richard Bienstock describes the song as being similar to some ]Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
songs, particularly in its arrangement
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
and Tyler's vocal performance and harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
playing.[
]
Critical reception
''Rocky Mount Telegram'' critic Deborah Saine interprets the song as a warning against using cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
. Saine regards "Hangman Jury" as being possibly the most creative song on ''Permanent Vacation''.[ '']Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
'' critic John Franck described it as an "excellent hobo-harmonica fable."
Charts
References
{{Aerosmith singles
Aerosmith songs
1987 singles
Songs written by Jim Vallance
Songs written by Steven Tyler
Songs written by Joe Perry (musician)
Song recordings produced by Bruce Fairbairn
Geffen Records singles
Blues songs