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April the 14th (Part 1) Lyrics
When the iceberg hit
Wasn't much to know
That God moves on the water
Like Casey Jones
So I walked downtown
On my telephone
And took a lazy turn
Through the red-eye zone
It was a five-band bill
A two-dollar show
I saw the van out in front
From Idaho
And the girl passed out
In the backseat trash
And there was no way they'd make
Even a half a tank of gas
They looked sick and stoned
And strangely dressed
No one showed
From the local press
But I watched 'em awhile
Through the bottom land
And I wished I played
In a rock and roll band
Hey, hey
It was the fourteenth day of April
Then they closed it down
With the sails and rags
And they swept up the fags
And the local rags
And threw the plastic cups
In the plastic bags
And the cooks cleaned the kitchen
With the staggers and the jags
Ruination Day
The sky was red
I went back to work
And back to bed
And the iceberg broke
And the Okies fled
And the Great Emancipator
Took a bullet in the back of the head
Hey
Wasn't much to know
That God moves on the water
Like Casey Jones
On my telephone
And took a lazy turn
Through the red-eye zone
A two-dollar show
I saw the van out in front
From Idaho
In the backseat trash
And there was no way they'd make
Even a half a tank of gas
And strangely dressed
No one showed
From the local press
Through the bottom land
And I wished I played
In a rock and roll band
It was the fourteenth day of April
With the sails and rags
And they swept up the fags
And the local rags
In the plastic bags
And the cooks cleaned the kitchen
With the staggers and the jags
The sky was red
I went back to work
And back to bed
And the Okies fled
And the Great Emancipator
Took a bullet in the back of the head
Song Info
Submitted by
smallwonderrobot On Sep 17, 2006
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So, this song is about my father commiting suicide - simply a beautiful song. "But I watched 'em awhile / through the bottom land / and I wished I played / in a rock and roll band".
Seriously? Two specific references in this song - firstly about the sinking of the Titanic when it hit an iceberg and secondly about the assasination of Abraham Lincoln "the great emancipator". Obvioulsy both happened on April 14th.
The 3 major events referenced in the song occurring on April 14th:
1865: The assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth.
1912: The sinking of the Titanic after striking an iceberg, resulting in the death of 1,517 people.
1935: "Black Sunday" - The worst dust bowl storm ever, resulting in the residents of the region fleeing for other areas (many went to California).
Also referenced in the song is Casey Jones, who famously saved the lives of many passengers by remaining on his train as it crashed in order to slow it down, thus killing himself. This event (coincidentally most likely) also occurred in April, though on the 30th, not the 14th. The line "God Moves on the Water" actually comes from an old song (its title being the same) by Blind Willie Johnson, which is about the Titanic. I wonder if the bit about the concert in Idaho is self-referential. Possibly.
Anyway, incredible song on an incredible album.
https://longreads.com/2015/04/14/gillian-welch-on-how-april-14th-came-to-be-ruination-day/