Cedar Sparks is the songwriting partnership of Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) and Lou Rogai (Lewis & Clarke) and while this first track certainly displays how fruitful that collaboration has been, it also shines a light on their rich storytelling abilities…even if it is a gruesome one that may chill you to the bone…”Forever bonded in spirit and flesh, I take you for my wife, in this life and the next”…perfect song for Halloween.
Their meeting was as if arranged by fate, discovering each were fans of the other’s music and sharing affinity for obscure Gothic Folk and Psychedelic Americana. A partnership was born, developing into shared studio spaces in a hive of artists in a historic building along the Delaware River. The Castle Inn was headquarters to famed bandleader Fred Waring and his choral group, “The Pennsylvanians”. The building is steeped in musical history, filled with former rehearsal rooms, writing rooms, and music printing presses. This energy, along with ghosts and folklore, is woven into the fabric of Cedar Sparks; Carbone and Rogai feeling as if they’ve “always been the caretakers”.
Their environment certainly informs their music, as evidenced in the upcoming 7” of murder ballads, detailing a sensational and tragic true-life crime which took place over a century ago. These two songs are based on a true story of love and murder circa 1883, Easton PA. They are written in the first person from the perspective of Charles Getter, a delusional psychopath who believes he’s acting out of love. In “Maggie”, which you can hear below, he woos his bride-to-be with charm and clichés of courtship, but there are certain red flags in his language that are overlooked.
Getter’s Island takes its name from this execution, a circus-like public spectacle with Getter wearing a white suit for the occasion.
Maggie drops October 30th, 2020 via La Société Expéditionnaire
Maggie (Lyrics)
Your breath is the wind, your eyes are the light
Your touch is the reason I cling to this life
Lady in waiting, our time will come soon
Only a maiden so fair is promised the sun and the moon
Delicate fingers, stems of a rose
A crown, or a halo, of golden primrose
Shining immortal, this love it is ours
Just like the tears in your eyes,
Reflecting the light of the stars
Follow me quickly before they awake
Your father’s permission, a promise we make
Forever bonded in spirit and flesh
I take you for my wife, in this life and the next
Maggie, it’s you and me….forever free
In the murmuring crowd we were lost and alone
Now we are walking our only true road
Here on our journey no more shall we roam
In deathless love we stay, an eternity is calling our name
Maggie, it’s you and me…forever free
Backstory:
In 1833, the island received its most familiar name, Getter’s Island. Charles Getter, accused of strangling his wife, Margaret (Rebecca) Lawall, was hanged there. Usually, hangings took place in Easton’s Centre Square, but the island was selected so the largest possible crowd could watch.
Reporters said 100,000 people watched from the riverbanks. More accurately, the crowd numbered around 20,000. It was a festive occasion, as was the custom. Getter, dressed in white, elected to walk from the prison in Centre Square to the island, rather than be taken by carriage. He made his way to the island over “a bridge of boats.”
Getter chose to be “drawn up” for the hanging, rather than being dropped through a trap door. The noose was placed around his neck. With the swing of a hatchet, the sheriff cut loose a 300-pound weight. It plummeted to earth, pulling Getter up by the neck.
But the rope broke. Getter fell to the ground.
Getter waited 20 minutes while officials found another rope. During that time, he complained that he had hurt his arm when he fell. When weight, rope and the prisoner were all in place, Getter asked that his necktie be adjusted to cover the rope burns from the first attempt. A written account of the event ended with these words: “Again the weight was cut loose, and Charles Getter was launched into eternity.”
Strangely, Maggie was also known as Margaret and Rebecca.
Pre-Order via Bandcamp: https://cedarsparksmusic.bandcamp.com/album/maggie
Photo Credit: Renée Faith Broady