April 19th
The album’s Patriots Day song originally appeared on the “Religious ’99” E.P.
It was inspired by the film “Waco: Rules of Engagement” (see below).
Not all the events recounted in the song happened on the titular date, which is technically a songwriting weakness. A lot of my songwriting, especially from this period, is the document of my fumbling around looking for something I don’t yet understand, a method which necessitates making mistakes. My songs are full of them.
“April 19th” was a useful song for several years. I find it still connects with folks who are fumbling around with the same questions I was when I wrote it.
Lyrics
APRIL 19th
April 19th
It’s a pretty good day
A pretty good day in the U.S. of A.
because it’s Patriots Day
and all the patriots say,
“Three cheers for the grand old flag
Hip-Heil-Hooray”
The folks that died at Waco
might have something more to add
but the radio it said
the folks in Waco were bad
and got what they deserved
on April 19th
but what about MOVE in Philadelphia
or A.I.M. at Wounded Knee
or the syphilis experiments we did at Tuskegee?
What about the Japanese internment camps?
And Joseph McCarthy?
I mean, how much more patriotic
can ya friggin’ be?!?
I don’t know how much of it’s
got dick to do with me
but it shatters the illusion
that I’m actually free
so I turn to my history and I see that
April 19th is when the first shot was fired
in the Revolutionary War which transpired
was a great conflagration
in which I’m told we were successful
and now we rule the world
Man, we’ve really got our hands full
but in Oklahoma City
several bombs were detonated
Shoulda been heard round the world
but the world had been sedated
and heard but one…
On April 19th
April 19th
I’m talking ’bout April 19th
Yeah April 19th
Well, the folks that died at Waco
Man, they never got their turn
Were the folks that died at Waco
really bad enough to burn?
Now, April 19th
It’s a pretty good day
A pretty good day
in the U.S. of fuckin’-A
I get my hands full
I barely got my rent paid
I work down at the landfill
and last night I got laid
The folks that died at Waco
they was waiting on the lord
instead they met the lead
of another Roman sword
On April 19th
April 19th
I’m talking ’bout April 19th
Yeah April 19th
Well, the folks that died at Waco
might have something more to say
but the folks that died at Waco
won’t be saying it today?
Credits
Written by Andras Jones
Andras Jones – Electric Guitar & Vocals
Clay Goldstein – Harmonica
Jeff Jackson – Lap Steel Guitar
Brian Schey – Bass Guitar
Colin Mahoney – Drums
Produced with Brian Schey & Colin Mahoney
at z’gwon,th studio in Lawrence, Kansas – September & October 1999
with engineering help from Tom Johnson,
Dan Balsinger & Anne Stephens
Purchase
$1.50