I Hung my Head - wikipedia I Hung my Head `` I Hung My Head '' is a song written by the singer - songwriter Sting and released on the 1996 album Mercury Falling. It reflects Sting 's childhood fondness for TV Westerns, as well as his avowed interest in Country music, but also tackles deeper and more philosophical themes of life and death, justice and redemption. In 2002, Johnny Cash covered the song in the album American IV : The Man Comes Around. Sting re-recorded the song in an orchestral version for his 2010 album Symphonicities. It tells the story of a boy who shoots a man, the resulting shame, and the consequences he faces. Contents 1 Theme 2 Compositional structure 3 Appearances 4 References Theme The story is told from the point of view of a young man who takes his brother 's rifle out onto the hill one morning. As a rider crosses the plain, the singer takes aim ( `` I drew a bead on him ; to practice my aim. '' ) The rifle goes off in his hands, killing the rider. The man runs to the salt lands, throwing the rifle into a stream. ( The Cash cover changes `` salt lands '' to `` south lands '', and `` stream '' to `` sheen ''. Sting supposed the latter was due to a misprint in the lyrics Cash was using. ) He is discovered by a sheriff, and is struck by the realization of what he has done. He is brought before a judge and jury, where he begs forgiveness and wishes he were dead. Awaiting execution on the gallows, he sees as a `` trick of the brain '' the rider return, so that they will ride together `` till kingdom come ''. The man prays to God for mercy. Compositional structure The song is one of very few popular tunes written in compound time. The curious offbeat rhythm has the effect of alternating 4 - beat and 5 - beat bars. The drum beat is syncopated, on the 3rd and 8th beats. In the Johnny Cash cover, the signature of the song was changed to standard. Appearances This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2017 ) The Johnny Cash cover of the song was featured in the Season Six premiere of The Shield, and was played over the opening and closing of the episode. The episode dealt with the aftermath ( guilt, recriminations and anger ) of the murder of a central character by his partner, who mistakenly believed that the victim had betrayed him. The Cash cover of the song also features in the film The Green Hornet. Bruce Springsteen covered the song at the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors where Sting was one of the honorees. References Jump up ^ Sting ( 2007 ). Lyrics by Sting. Random House of Canada. pp. 195 -- 6. ISBN 978 - 0 - 385 - 33987 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Listen, Look, play ''. The Sunday Business Post. 25 July 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2011. hide Sting Studio albums The Dream of the Blue Turtles... Nothing Like the Sun The Soul Cages Ten Summoner 's Tales Mercury Falling Brand New Day Sacred Love Songs from the Labyrinth If on a Winter 's Night... Symphonicities The Last Ship 57th & 9th 44 / 876 EPs Nada Como el Sol Demolition Man Still Be Love in the World Live albums Bring on the Night Acoustic Live in Newcastle... All This Time The Journey and the Labyrinth Live in Berlin Compilations Fields of Gold : The Best of Sting 1984 -- 1994 The Very Best of... Sting & The Police The Best of 25 Years Singles `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' `` Love Is the Seventh Wave '' `` Fortress Around Your Heart '' `` Russians '' `` We 'll Be Together '' `` Be Still My Beating Heart '' `` Englishman in New York '' `` Fragile '' `` They Dance Alone '' `` All This Time '' `` It 's Probably Me '' `` If I Ever Lose My Faith in You '' `` Fields of Gold '' `` Shape of My Heart '' `` All for Love '' `` I 'm So Happy I Ca n't Stop Crying '' `` Brand New Day '' `` Desert Rose '' `` Stolen Car ( Take Me Dancing ) '' `` Whenever I Say Your Name '' `` I Ca n't Stop Thinking About You '' `` The Empty Chair '' Guest singles `` Money for Nothing '' `` Take Me Home '' `` On Silent Wings '' `` Rise & Fall '' `` Always on Your Side '' `` Stolen Car '' Tours Symphonicity Tour ( 2010 -- 11 ) Back to Bass Tour ( 2011 -- 13 ) On Stage Together Tour ( 2014 -- 15 ) Summer 2015 ( 2015 ) Rock Paper Scissors North American Tour ( 2016 ) Summer 2016 ( 2016 ) 57th & 9th Tour ( 2017 ) Theatre 3 Penny Opera ( 1989 ) The Last Ship ( 2014 ) Related articles Discography The Police Discography Last Exit Bring on the Night ( film ) The Living Sea : Soundtrack from the IMAX Film Dolphins `` Until... '' Dendropsophus stingi Family Frances Tomelty ( ex-wife ) Trudie Styler ( wife ) Joe Sumner ( son ) Mickey Sumner ( daughter ) Eliot Sumner ( daughter ) Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Hung_My_Head&oldid=849736247 '' Categories : Sting ( musician ) songs Johnny Cash songs Country ballads Rock ballads 1996 songs Songs written by Sting ( musician ) Murder ballads Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from July 2017 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 11 July 2018, at 00 : 39 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote the song i hung my head
Answer: Sting