"The Hanging Tree" is a western ballad from the 1959 movie The Hanging Tree. It was scored by Max Steiner and written by Mack David and Jerry Livingston, [1] who received nominations for the Laurel Awards and the Academy Awards in 1960. The text is a short reference to the film's story. [2]
"The Hanging Tree" was performed by Marty Robbins in the film's opening credits. [3] It was featured on the 1999 CD reissue of Robbins' album, Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. [4] "The Hanging Tree" peaked at number 15 on the US, Hot C&W Sides chart. [5] Crossing over to the US, Hot 100, it peaked at number 38. [6]