April The 14th (Part 1) - Gillian Welch

[jpanicacci]

Yet another jewel in Gill's sparkly crown

[Dreadtower]

The final line contains three April 14th. references:

'Ruination Day, and the sky was red ...' seems to refer to the 1935 'Black Sunday Storm', the worst dust storm of the U.S. Dust Bowl;

'... then the iceberg hit ...' alludes to the Titanic;

finally, '... the great emancipated took a bullet in the back of the head' refers to the 14th. April, 1865 plot to bring down the Union government in which Lincoln was assassinated and the Secretary of State was shot but not killed.

Any more anyone?

[Dreadtower]

@Dreadtower erratum: The Secretary of State was stabbed.

[lparmer206]

@Dreadtower I think there's a reference to an early performance by the Rolling Stones before they were signed on ... April 14th, 1963. ("They looked sick and stoned and strangely dressed. No one showed from the local press. But I watched 'em walk through the bottom land. And wished I played in a rock and roll band." Maybe?)

[Dreadtower]

@lparmer206 Could be. I think this reference, if it IS one, is very tricky to research. It might just be some local band she remembers seeing.

[Shakey719]

I'm in love with Gillian Welch

[goyogago]

my birthday is April 14th... listening to this right now and feeling it hardcore...

[Longlakedreaming]

The Titanic struck the iceberg shortly before midnight on April The 14th. Too bad the only pair of binoculars on the Titanic were locked up in the former first officers locker and he never gave the key to the locker to another officer before he went to serve on another ship before the Titanic's maiden (and last voyage). I guess he forget to give up the key?

Blind Willie Johnson also sang about the Titanic in his song "God Don't Never Change"

[doggydookypoop]

I once read that Gillian's music, specifically in reference to this album, was the sound of shelac and bones, dark like a bruise and deep like a mine. Although perfect, not even that can describe sufficiently the complexity of the moods stirred by her melodies and haunting stories.

[JyHiable]

This music is an imaginative place where we can escape the intolerable superficiality and din surrounding our life as usual. The music is consciously simple, minimalistic. It works.

[ak47doubletap]

meaningful lyrics, amazing voice, song, can listen to Gillian Welch; she has only the best of songs to her credit. Always count on the best from Gillian.

Amazing also is David Rawlings.

[widefilth]

i wished i played in a rock and roll band

[thebailey67]

@widefilth dont we all...LOL

[werbanet]

This song kind of spooks me.

I love it.

[lwirbel]

@werbanet The whole album "Time the Revelator" spooks me something fierce. That's why I think it's her best album. I know some hardcore Gillian fans who think it's too weird. Ding dong, they're wrong, it's simply perfect.

[hcanuck7]

Why ?

[werbanet]

There's something about the atmosphere of the song that sounds kind of creepy to me. I listened to this album a lot when I was staying alone in an apartment for a month while my family was away; it matched my mood.

[Dreadtower]

@werbanet It IS very haunting, and rather beautiful.

[AyameFullOfLove]

tip top détente yeah