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Humboldt County Massacre
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Listen/Buy:
Guitar Tab: http://www.frankblack.net/tabs/song.asp?song=bside-nc-humboldtcountymassacre
Lyrics:
The Wiyot threw their shells away
Until that pile became a mound
And that became their hollow ground
On an island in what became Humboldt Bay
Then there came some prominent men
From New England and Maritimes
They sold the island to a German
But even Robert Gunter found it was a crime
Robert Gunther found the Wiyot dead
Yeah, axes cut them to the bones
They didn't know the county paper said
That splitting skulls in Humboldt was a rite de passage
The people sided with the axemen toughs
The criticizers they were all run off
They called Eureka Murderville
For the children, women, old men that were killed
And in the sky above that town
A cloud of steam makes it seem darker
They didn't even put a marker
Near the papermill and shanty oh so brown
Robert Gunter found the Wiyot dead
Yeah, axes cut them to the bones
They didn't know the county paper said
That splitting skulls in Humboldt was a rite de passage
That crossing the bar was a rite de passage
Notes:
Produced by Nick Vincent
Performed by Frank Black (guitar, vocals), Scott Boutier (drums), Rich Gilbert (guitar), David McCafferty (bass, backing vocals)
Quotes:
[Question]: What is "Humboldt County Massacre" about?
Frank Black: Ponder the title. Therein lies the answer my son.
- MusicToday.com Online Chat, January 28, 2001
"I have a new song called HUMBOLDT COUNTY MASSACRE about some Indians who were living in a little Island off of Eureka, California. There were some bad men in the area from the Eastern part of the United States that moved there and killed them all. Typical story from about a hundred years ago. The Indian Tribe is called the wiots. I don’t know if I’m saying it right."
- Frank Black, InterFM Radio interview, March 23, 1998
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