Alright, here it is, the jubilant, rollicking chorus to one of the most lively, exultant, good-time sounding songs I’ve heard in a long time:
And the Hawk said, “Take him on down below the Bull Mountain Bridge
Tie his hands and throw him in the river
You might as well give him his farewell party night”
He said, “Knock him in the head…he’s better off dead
Break his arms and throw him in the river
If anybody asks, just tell `em he committed suicide”
That’s…that is some dark stuff, man! But it just sounds so buoyant and exuberant, if you’re like me you’ll find yourself singing along and – could it be? – feeling uplifted! Joyous, even! This breezy chorus repeats four times; I’ll give you until the last one, when the music drops out and the spirit-filled congregation brings the revival to a close, to not be experiencing cheer, even triumphant glee, at the graphically described mutilation and cold-blooded murder of some poor bastard who damn sure pissed off the wrong guy near the Bull Mountain Bridge.
The writer and singer, Paul Thorn, is a Mississippi-raised Americana/Roots artist with blues influences and gospel roots. He’s also a former professional boxer who as a middleweight once fought four-time world champion Roberto Duran, lasting a respectable six rounds before a doctor stopped the fight due to what was described as “excessive bleeding from multiple cuts.” Hold on a second: Excessive bleeding? Multiple cuts? Don’t those seem like handy descriptors for inspiring another cheery little Paul Thorn ditty? Rejoice!
Rob Mac
January 10, 2021 4:59 pmBill: I’ve never heard of Paul Thorn before but this song is positively infectious! Gonna hunt his stuff down on Amazon tomor. Thank you. Rob Mac
William Huff
February 8, 2021 5:06 pmI’ve seen Paul a couple of times preforming and I love his music. I got to talk to him briefly and bought CD’s and T-shirts from him. Nice guy and funny too. I say nice guy, which he is, but he’s also tuff. He would have to be, to go 7 rounds with Roberto Duran.