BP-JFK collection

"JFK Assassination Songs" : 10 items
JFK Assassination Songs : "A Tragedy in Dallas" - James Dotson (1964)
	This song "A tragedy in Dallas" by James Dotson, originally published by Redwing in 1964, was part of the CD "Tragic Songs from the Grassy Knoll" issued in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of J.F.Kennedy Assassination. Special thanks to a very dear friend of mine who suggested me this new section "JFK Assassination Songs" for my collection.
JFK Assassination Songs : "The Tragedy of John F. Kennedy" - The Justice Brothers (1964)
	This song "The Tragedy of John F.Kennedy" by The Justice Brothers (Jim and Bill), originally published by DEL-RAY Records in 1964, was part of the CD "Tragic Songs from the Grassy Knoll" issued in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of J.F.Kennedy Assassination. Special thanks to a very dear friend of mine who suggested me this new section "JFK Assassination Songs" for my collection.
JFK Assassination Songs : "Sympathy for the Devil" - Rolling Stones (1968)
	In the summer of 1968 the Rolling Stones returned to Olympic Studios to record the album Beggars Banquet. After the previous year’s 'Their Satanic Majesties Request', the Rolling Stones had had enough of psychedelia. They set out to move in a different direction and found their footing in “jaded, blues-soaked hard rock“. Beggars Banquet would be the first of a string of great classic Stones albums, and the song that leads off the album is “Sympathy For The Devil.” Mick Jagger wrote the lyrics and had the basic melody when the Rolling Stones went into the studio in early June, 1968. The development of “Sympathy for the Devil” is captured in the movie Sympathy for the Devil (1968), directed by John-Luc Godard. “Sympathy for the Devil” contains just one reference to the JFK assassination. After describing events ranging from the trial of Jesus Christ to the 100 Years War (1337-1453) to the Russian Revolution to World War II, the lyrics turn to recent political assassinations, “I shouted out, ‘Who killed the Kennedys’/When after all it was you and me”. Interesting to note that Jagger originally wrote “I shouted out, ‘Who killed Kennedy?'” referring only to John F. Kennedy, assassinated in 1963, but the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy occurred during the time the Stones were developing this track. The “Sympathy” sessions took place from June 4 to June 10, 1968, and Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated on June 6, 1968. Special thanks to a very dear friend of mine who suggested me this new section "JFK Assassination Songs" for my collection.
JFK Assassination Songs : "The day John Kennedy died" - Lou Reed (1982)
Lyrics: I dreamed I was the president of these united states I dreamed I replaced ignorance, stupidity and hate I dreamed the perfect union and a perfect law, undenied And most of all I dreamed I forgot the day john kennedy died I dreamed that I could do the job that others hadn't done I dreamed that I was uncorrupt and fair to everyone I dreamed I wasn't gross or base, a criminal on the take And most of all I dreamed I forgot the day john kennedy died Oh, the day john kennedy died Oh, the day john kennedy died I remember where I was that day, I was upstate in a bar The team from the university was playing football on tv Then the screen want dead and the announcer said, "there's been a tragedy There's are unconfirmed reports the president's been shot And he may be dead or dying." Talking stopped, someone shouted, "what!? " I ran out to the street People were gathered everywhere saying, Did you hear what they said on tv And then a guy in a porsche with his radio hit his born And told us the news He said, "the president's dead, he was shot twice in the head In dallas, and they don't know by whom." I dreamed I was the president of these united states I dreamed I was young and smart and it was not a waste I dreamed that there was a point to life and to the human race I dreamed that I could somehow comprehend that someone Shot him in the face Oh, the day john kennedy died Oh, the day john kennedy died Oh, the day john kennedy died Oh, the day john kennedy died	“The Day John Kennedy Died” was written and recorded by Lou Reed and included on his 1982 album The Blue Mask. Released just before Lou Reed turned 40, this album was among the most acclaimed of his career. The instrumentation was relatively spare, as Reed led a stripped down guitar-bass-drums band with few overdubs. Actually, the album features twin lead guitars with Lou Reed and David Quine separated in the mix to great effect. Dispensing with the decadent “Rock N Roll Animal” persona that he had adopted in the 1970s, the songs on The Blue Mask were more direct and personal than on previous Lou Reed albums. Lou Reed begins “The Day John Kennedy Died”, the second-to-last song on the album, by describing an idyllic dream he had. In his dream Lou Reed is president of the United States and uses his position to create a just and fair society. Key to this vision is forgetting that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. This event, the song implies, negates the possibility of achieving the sort of utopian society Lou Reed envisions. As if awakening from the dream, Lou Reed goes on to describe his own memory of the JFK assassination. He recalls where he was and what he was doing when he heard the news, and though television had yet to become such a ubiquitous presence in American life, Lou Reed first heard the news on TV. “I remember where I was that day, I was upstate in a bar/The team from the university was playing football on TV” Not wanting to believe the news, he ran into the street where others were gathering. Any chance for reassuring news was ended when a car horn blared and a person in a Porsche reported Kennedy’s death. Lou Reed tries to reconcile this news with his dream but the final image he relates in the song is of the president being shot in the face. Special thanks to a very dear friend of mine who suggested me this new section "JFK Assassination Songs" for my collection.
JFK Assassination Songs : "Lee Harvey was a friend of mine" - Homer Henderson (1985)
Lyrics: One, two, one two three four Lee Harvey was a friend of mine He used to take me fishin' all the time He used to throw a ball to me when I was just a kid They say he shot the president, but I don't think he did Well, I was born in Dallas in 1952 And Lee Harvey lived across the street on Bentley Avenue He used to throw a ball to me when I was just a kid They say he shot the president, but I don't think he did Lee Harvey was a friend of mine He used to take me fishin' all the time He used to throw a ball to me when I was just a kid They say he shot the president, but I don't think he did Well, I've seen that picture of him holdin' pamphlets and a gun And there's shadows pointin' every which way, but only just one sun Someone faked that photo and then snuck away and hid They say he shot the president, but I don't think he did Lee Harvey was a friend of mine Well, I saw it all on TV, Lee Harvey got gunned down And he was killed off by Jack Ruby, the biggest sleaze in town He stuck a gun into his ribs and said, "Here's lookin' at you, kid" Jack Ruby killed Lee Harvey - my TV proved he did Lee Harvey was a friend of mine He used to take me fishin' all the time He used to throw a ball to me when I was just a kid They say he shot the president, but I don't think he did Lee Harvey was a friend of mine	Homer Henderson was a one-man band from Dallas and this is the original recording of Henderson’s most famous song, “Lee Harvey Was a Friend of Mine,”, included in the CD "Tragic Songs from the Grassy Knoll", published in 2013 as "John F.Kennedy 50th Anniversary Collection". Homer Henderson's assassin ode "Lee Harvey Was a Friend of Mine" stands alone in Lone Star lore. The sympathetic tune recounts a childhood friendship with the alleged JFK gunman: "Lee Harvey was a friend of mine. He used to take me fishin' all the time. He used to throw the ball to me when I was just a kid. They say he shot the president, but I don't think he did." The song first appeared on a 1985 vinyl 7-inch by Homer Henderson & the Dalworthington Garden Boys. The bandleader, then based in Dallas, co-wrote the tune with friend Jay Cotton. "I think we wrote most of it while we were driving around drinking Slurpees and smoking weed," chuckles Henderson. "We'd pass by Oswald's house, the Texas Theatre, and Marsalis Avenue in Oak Cliff, where Jack Ruby had lived. Thirty years ago people didn't give a damn about it, but we knew all those places." Though he considers the song something of a cheap shot, it's stood the test of time, having been covered by T. Tex Edwards, the Asylum Street Spankers, Laura Cantrell, and even Oswald's old girlfriend, Judyth Vary Baker, author of the recent book Me & Lee: How I Came to Know, Love, and Lose Lee Harvey Oswald. Baker's atonal version alters the lyrics to support her claim that Oswald was a secret agent trying to prevent JFK's assassination. Originally released in 1985, “Lee Harvey Was a Friend of Mine” is the most recent recording on "Tragic Songs from Grassy Knoll" CD. It’s also the only one that even mentions the possibility of a conspiracy. Immediately following the assassination, the country’s reaction was grief and a sense of patriotic shock. Most of the singers here were concerned about mythic notions of the brave commander in chief struck down while trying to spread freedom and liberty and with sentimental images of Jackie placing the wedding ring on her husband’s finger — not with niggling cynicism dealing in magic bullets and grassy knolls. Special thanks to a very dear friend of mine who suggested me this new section "JFK Assassination Songs" for my collection.
JFK Assassination Songs : "The John F.Kennedy Blues" - Coal Porters (1991)
Lyrics: Sittin' here in Dallas, hope I got a lot on my mind All the people showtime you know it's gonna blow my mind Like to love you baby, but the Congress is on my mind Like the leaves on the trees, always swaying in the breeze I'm a moving target for ya, he's always aiming to please Like to love you baby, I'm already down on my knees All around the town I'm known for my liberal views Ask the TV or the papers, what I say is certainly news Like to love you...it ain't that great to be in my shoes There's Marilyn and Jacqueline, you know I'm a wanted man I'm followed by the alamos and so is my shaving herd I confess I seldom rest, I guess I'm just a family man What Salinger says, I tell Pierre to know Bobby's helping out, he's got that damn yard bro' Like a Christian 'neath a lion, what I say ain't necessarily so Coming around towards the Delaney Plaza Jackie and John They got soon to be Republican John Connelly and his wife Man and they're sittin there thinking everything's just ducky He's cheering to the left, he's cheering to the right They're going over down right there by that turnaround right by the Delaney Plaza Right by the Delaney Plaza And they're at parade speed of about 11 miles per hour Connelly looks over at the Kennedys And he notices that John F Kennedy has got a 1961 Fender Stratocaster To his astonishment he looks over at the always fashionable Jackie Kennedy And she's got a 1966 Gibson ES three thirty five Sunbox And they're both playing a riff from a song by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, that him and somebody got from somebody, somebody long dead And what they do is they play this riff Sittin' here in Dallas hope I got a lot on my mind Motorcade is ready this parade will do me fine Like to love you baby got the John F Kennedy Blues Come back baby come back, come back baby please Come back little darling, I'm already down on my kness Like to love you baby got the John F Kennedy Blues Like to love you baby got the John F Kennedy Blues Like to love you baby got the John F Kennedy Blues © Sid Griffin	The Coal Porters are a British-American bluegrass band headquartered in London and led by Sid Griffin (mandolin, autoharp, harmonica and vocals) and Neil Robert Herd (guitar and vocals) The other members are Carly Frey (fiddle, vocals), John Breese (banjo, vocals), and Tali Trow (bass, vocals). Griffin formed the group in Los Angeles in 1989 and then reorganized the band after moving to London. Rebel without applause is the first Coal Porters release, available as an Australian vinyl 12″ EP on Rubber Records containing the first five tracks only, or as a full length UK album on Utility Records : Roll Columbia Roll/I Tell Her All The Time/ The Light That Shines Within/Rhythm And Blue Angel/Stealin’ Horses/Sittin’ In An Isle Of Palms (live BBC rec)/Stuck On An Island/The John F. Kennedy Blues (live)/The March Of The Tapdancin’ Rats Note: keyboardist Andy Kaulkin, second from left on front cover, is now the head of super hip record labels Anti and Epitaph Records in Los Angeles. Special thanks to a very dear friend of mine who suggested me this new section "JFK Assassination Songs" for my collection.
JFK Assassination Songs : "The Kennedy Curse" - Alexisonfire (2002)
Lyrics: Take this blood from my veins And paint me a masterpiece of a parade... A parade of the dead sun. Writing (Writing this letter to you) This letter to you. (I slice my wrists) Kill their leader (By way of paper scars and pictures frames) And watch his family die (Of all you left behind) Family die. Last man... Last man standing is a joke. In spite of the... (When white) Glorious head shots. (Bleeds into red) Head shots and 8 by 10s. (When white)In exchange for your conspiracy (Bleeds into red) (When white) We'll give thanks. (Bleeds into red) Stop and you'll decide. (When white) Decide if you can. (Bleeds into red) Then the name won't exist. Set him on death row. Go on, let this happen. [George's deep voice:] (That... That's all, that you get. That's all you get. That's all, you get fuck...) [Wade in background:] In. In the. The ground. In the ground. In the ground. In the ground. The ground. Put the dead Kennedy in the ground. In the ground. In the ground. The name does not live on. Not live on!	With a variety of vocal styles (screamo, demonic, emo, and spoken) post-hardcore band Alexisonfire from St. Catherines, Ontario, describe (and cast?) the “curse” on the Kennedy family. The song entitled “The Kennedy Curse” from the album Alexisonfire (2002) makes lurid references to the assassination of John F. Kennedy “(When white)/Glorious head shots/(Bleeds into red)/Head shots and 8x10s/(When white)/In exchange for your conspiracy/(Bleeds into red)”. Here the mention of conspiracy is not about whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, but rather about a darker conspiracy to erase the Kennedy family altogether. “Put the dead Kennedy in the ground/In the ground, in the ground/The name does not live on/Not live on!” The notion of a Kennedy curse arose as a result of the tragedies that have occurred to members of the Kennedy family over the years, not least of which were the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy in the 1960s. Because of the high profile of the Kennedy family and the shocking nature of these events, news outlets began connecting these tragedies with all sorts of news stories involving other members of the Kennedy clan. The phrase “Kennedy curse” is now regularly used in news stories involving any member of the Kennedy family, and Edward Klein has written a bestselling book on the subject entitled The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America’s First Family for 150 Years. Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969) had nine children, several of whom have had ambitious political goals. The oldest, Joe, died in World War II, John was assassinated in 1963 in the third year of his presidential administration, and Bobby was assassinated in 1968 during his campaign for the presidency. Ted Kennedy also made a run for the White House but his bid failed in part because of his role in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969. The death of JFK’s son John F. Kennedy Jr. in a plane crash in 1999 renewed the public discussion about a curse of the Kennedy family. In the report of John F. Kennedy’s Jr.’s plane crash, the Washington Post referred to the Kennedys as “the star-crossed family that has become America’s version of political royalty.” The most recent use of the phrase “the Kennedy curse” was last year when Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s second wife committed suicide. In the article “Kennedy Curse Strikes Again: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Wife Found Dead”, Forbes did what so many media outlets do when a tragic story involves a member of the Kennedy clan, they include a timeline of tragic events that suggest some sort of curse is on this family. In reality, however, the “Kennedy curse” is simply a convenient way for media outlets to rehash old stories about the Kennedys because a large numbers of people love reading and hearing about the Kennedy family. Special thanks to a very dear friend of mine who suggested me this new section "JFK Assassination Songs" for my collection.
JFK Assassination Songs : "The Death of John F.Kennedy" - The Southern Gospel band
	This song "The Death of John F.Kennedy" by The Southern Gospel Band was part of the CD "Tragic Songs from the Grassy Knoll" issued in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of J.F.Kennedy Assassination.
JFK Assassination Songs : LP Vinyl "ASSASSIN" - JFK & The Grey Wolves
	Very rare LP. Limited to 300 copies, all on clear blood red vinyl. All tracks recorded in 1988. Originally released on JFK / Artaman Tapes in 1988. Peripheral Records announced in 2016 a re-issue of the ultra-rare collaboration between JFK and the Grey Wolves, originally recorded and released on cassette in 1988 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. The music is a reflection not just on the event itself, but also on its implications and ramifications: the collective trauma and psychosis, the invasive cold war paranoia, rumours of shadow governments and the implied presence of the hidden, alien hand that guides and shapes human affairs to who-knows-what end." The Grey Wolves are Dave Padbury and Trevor Ward. They exist since the early '80s and have released a lot of tapes via their label Anal Probe, which later split into Artaman and Zeal SS, the latter changed it's name quite often and is nowadays Open Wound. John Francis Kennedy (born John Kennedy 1 July 1958) is an English-born Australian musician and singer-songwriter–guitarist. He has been the leader of a number of groups including JFK & the Cuban Crisis (1980–84), and John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong (1984–88). In 1984 he described his music as "urban and western"
JFK Assassination Songs : "Murder Most Foul" - BOB DYLAN (2020)
	A dark, dense ballad for the end times. Dylan’s first new song in eight years is a fascinating portrait of his obsession with JFK’s assassination, rich with pop cultural detail and apocalyptic dread. Lyrics: It was a dark day in Dallas, November '63 A day that will live on in infamy President Kennedy was a-ridin’ high Good day to be livin' and a good day to die Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb He said, "Wait a minute, boys, you know who I am?" "Of course we do. We know who you are." Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car Shot down like a dog in broad daylight Was a matter of timing and the timing was right You got unpaid debts; we've come to collect We're gonna kill you with hatred; without any respect We'll mock you and shock you and we'll put it in your face We've already got someone here to take your place The day they blew out the brains of the king Thousands were watching; no one saw a thing It happened so quickly, so quick, by surprise Right there in front of everyone's eyes Greatest magic trick ever under the sun Perfectly executed, skillfully done Wolfman, oh wolfman, oh wolfman howl Rub-a-dub-dub, it's a murder most foul Hush, little children. You'll understand The Beatles are comin'; they're gonna hold your hand Slide down the banister, go get your coat Ferry 'cross the Mersey and go for the throat There's three bums comin' all dressed in rags Pick up the pieces and lower the flags I'm going to Woodstock; it's the Aquarian Age Then I'll go to Altamont and sit near the stage Put your head out the window; let the good times roll There's a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll Stack up the bricks, pour the cement Don't say Dallas don't love you, Mr. President Put your foot in the tank and step on the gas Try to make it to the triple underpass Blackface singer, whiteface clown Better not show your faces after the sun goes down Up in the red light district, they've got cop on the beat Living in a nightmare on Elm Street When you're down in Deep Ellum, put your money in your shoe Don't ask what your country can do for you Cash on the ballot, money to burn Dealey Plaza, make left-hand turn I'm going down to the crossroads; gonna flag a ride The place where faith, hope, and charity died Shoot him while he runs, boy. Shoot him while you can See if you can shoot the invisible man Goodbye, Charlie. Goodbye, Uncle Sam Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don't give a damn What is the truth, and where did it go? Ask Oswald and Ruby; they oughta know "Shut your mouth," said the wise old owl Business is business, and it's a murder most foul Tommy, can you hear me? I'm the Acid Queen I'm riding in a long, black limousine Riding in the backseat next to my wife Heading straight on in to the afterlife I'm leaning to the left; got my head in her lap Hold on, I've been led into some kind of a trap Where we ask no quarter, and no quarter do we give We're right down the street from the street where you live They mutilated his body, and they took out his brain What more could they do? They piled on the pain But his soul's not there where it was supposed to be at For the last fifty years they've been searchin' for that Freedom, oh freedom. Freedom cover me I hate to tell you, mister, but only dead men are free Send me some lovin'; tell me no lies Throw the gun in the gutter and walk on by Wake up, little Susie; let's go for a drive Cross the Trinity River; let's keep hope alive Turn the radio on; don't touch the dials Parkland hospital, only six more miles You got me dizzy, Miss Lizzy. You filled me with lead That magic bullet of yours has gone to my head I'm just a patsy like Patsy Cline Never shot anyone from in front or behind I've blood in my eye, got blood in my ear I'm never gonna make it to the new frontier Zapruder's film I seen night before Seen it 33 times, maybe more It's vile and deceitful. It's cruel and it's mean Ugliest thing that you ever have seen They killed him once and they killed him twice Killed him like a human sacrifice The day that they killed him, someone said to me, "Son The age of the Antichrist has only begun." Air Force One coming in through the gate Johnson sworn in at 2:38 Let me know when you decide to thrown in the towel It is what it is, and it's murder most foul What's new, pussycat? What'd I say? I said the soul of a nation been torn away And it's beginning to go into a slow decay And that it's 36 hours past Judgment Day Wolfman Jack, speaking in tongues He's going on and on at the top of his lungs Play me a song, Mr. Wolfman Jack Play it for me in my long Cadillac Play me that "Only the Good Die Young" Take me to the place Tom Dooley was hung Play St. James Infirmary and the Court of King James If you want to remember, you better write down the names Play Etta James, too. Play "I'd Rather Go Blind" Play it for the man with the telepathic mind Play John Lee Hooker. Play "Scratch My Back." Play it for that strip club owner named Jack Guitar Slim going down slow Play it for me and for Marilyn Monroe Play "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" Play it for the First Lady, she ain't feeling any good Play Don Henley, play Glenn Frey Take it to the limit and let it go by Play it for Karl Wirsum, too Looking far, far away at Down Gallow Avenue Play tragedy, play "Twilight Time" Take me back to Tulsa to the scene of the crime Play another one and "Another One Bites the Dust" Play "The Old Rugged Cross" and "In God We Trust" Ride the pink horse down the long, lonesome road Stand there and wait for his head to explode Play "Mystery Train" for Mr. Mystery