The Kingston Trio: "Tom Dooley"

The Kingston Trio released their hit version of “Tom Dooley” in 1958. It went on to reach #1 on Billboard’s charts and did well on the country stations as well. The song itself has a very historic and somber beginning.

A local poet named Thomas Land wrote a song about the tragedy, titled “Tom Dooley” (which was how Dula’s name was pronounced), shortly after Dula was hanged. In 1866, Laura Foster was viciously murdered. A Confederate vet named Tom Dula, who was Foster’s lover and the father of her unborn child, was convicted of her murder and hanged May 1, 1868. Foster had been stabbed to death with a large knife, and the brutality of the attack partly led to the trickle of information, so that everyone knew of this account. The song was selected as one of the American Songs of the Century by the RIAA.

Lyrics to “Tom Dooley”

Throughout history there have been many songs
Written about the eternal triangle
This next one tells the story of a Mr. Grayson,
A beautiful woman, and a condemned man named Tom Dooley
When the sun rises tomorrow, Tom Dooley must hang

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hangdown your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you’re bound to die

I met her on the mountain, there I took her life
Met her on the mountain, stabbed her with my knife

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry (ah-uh-eye)
Hangdown your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you’re bound to die

This time tomorrow reckon where I’ll be
Hadn’t-a been for Grayson, I’d-a been in Tennessee (well now, boy)

Hang down (your head) your head (Dooley) and cry
Hang down your head and cry (ah poor boy, ah well-ah)
Hangdown (your head) your head (Dooley) and cry
Poor boy, you’re bound to die (ah well now boy)

Hang down (your head) your head (Dooley) and cry
Hang down your head and cry (ah poor boy, ah well-ah)
Hangdown (your head) your head (Dooley) and cry
Poor boy, you’re bound to die

This time tomorrow reckon where I’ll be
Down in some lonesome valley hangin’ from a white oak tree

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry (ah-uh-eye)
Hangdown your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you’re bound to die (ah well now boy)

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hangdown your head and cry (poor boy ah well uh)
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you’re bound to die
Poor boy, you’re bound to die
Poor’boy, you’re bound to die
Poor boy, you’re bound to die

(Source For Lyrics: Google Play Lyrics)

Other Versions of the Song

In the documentary Appalachian Journey (1991), folklorist Alan Lomax inaccurately describes Frank Proffitt as the “original source” for the song.

The Kingston Trio took their version from Frank Warner’s singing. Warner had learned the song from Proffitt, who learned it from his Aunt Nancy Prather, whose parents had known both Laura Foster and Tom Dula. Watch the story below….