Music in the Castle

So I just discovered that there are a lot of songs about killers (thanks to the ever reliable Wikipedia that has an entire page devoted to track titles).

Of the dozens, I knew just one, the "Legend of Bonnie and Clyde" by Merle Haggard.

Fact: I like this song so much that I have it on my IPod. Another favorite and owner of a home on my IPod (though not owner of a home on the Wikipedia list) is "John Wilkes Booth" by Tony Rice.

Both songs are from the country genre (which I love). I find it is one of the best genres for songs like those mentioned above because it gives a good beat while still remaining calm and measured (I.E. no screaming) (which I don't find pleasing to listen to).

The Wikipedia list included a few songs on Holmes so I decided to look them up on YouTube and see if I could find another winner.

The first three were all death or thrash metal bands with scary cover art.

One song I couldn't understand because the lead singer was all but eating the microphone while yelling in a really deep voice that sounded (to me) like an abominable snowman impression. What I found amusing were all the comments that said something along the lines of, "YEAH MAN! I LOVE THIS SONG!" How did you understand the song? I needed either subtitles or a thrash metal translator.

Another was just dudes that had hair like ZZ Top had beards, whipping their heads back and forth, and shrieking at decibels that have not been accessed in the natural world.

But the search was not hopeless because I did find one song that did not cause my ears to bleed.

Alkaline Trio, a rock band (and if you know me then you know I LOVE rock), released a song called "Torture Doctor." While the song never mentions Holmes by name, you can tell that he is the inspiration.

Starting with the title, "Torture Doctor" was one of the various nicknames given to Holmes after his arrest. Other examples, the Murder Castle stood in the south side of Englewood, he shed his life as Herman Mudgett when he arrived in Chicago, and got away with his various crimes for some time before being caught.

The torture doctor is in
Back here to confess his sins
Knowing damn well he was dead wrong
And I can't believe my eyes
Trouble and regret haunt my mind
I'll let you take the whole thing down brick by brick
Tonight

And there's a devil dancing in my head
As I'm hovering above your bed

Hey, ho
We know how this story goes
Hey, ho
The plot it thickens and grows
Hey, ho
There's nothing left to hide
Hey, ho
Down here on the south side

I was the worst of my kind
I left me old life behind
Can't believe I got away with it so long
At the end of the day
There is nothing to say
So tired of being wired wrong
All my life

And there's a devil dancing in my head
As I'm hovering above your bed

Hey, ho
We know how this story goes
Hey, ho
The plot it thickens and grows
Hey, ho
There's nothing left to hide
Hey, ho
Down here on the south side
Down on the south side

Hey, ho
We know how this story goes
Hey, ho
The plot it thickens and grows
Hey, ho
There's nothing left to hide
Hey, ho
Down here on the south side
Down on the south side
Down on the south side

 

I find the lyrics to be catchy and clever. Plus, you can't go wrong with a rocking beat that you can actually dance to.

 

 

Until next time.

 

XOXO, Kate