The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll by Bob Dylan (1964)
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll is a topical song written about the killing of an African-American barmaid, Hattie Carroll (March 3, 1911 - February 9, 1963). The song was written and performed by Bob Dylan, released in 1964 from his album The Times They Are a-Changin’.
The 51-year-old barmaid was killed by a 24-year-old, white young man from a wealthy tobacco farming family in Charles County, Maryland, and was sentenced to six months in jail after being convicted of assault. [1]
Key Lyrics
William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger
At a Baltimore hotel society gatherin'
And the cops was called in and his weapon took from him
As they rode him in custody down to the station
And booked William Zanzinger for first-degree murder
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain't the time for your tears
William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years
Owns a tobacco farm of six hundred acres
With rich wealthy parents who provide and protect him
And high office relations in the politics of Maryland
Reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulders
And swear words and sneering, and his tongue it was a-snarling
And in a matter of minutes on bail was out walking
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain't the time for your tears
Hattie Carroll was a maid in the kitchen
She was fifty-one years old and gave birth to ten children
Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage
And never sat once at the head of the table
And didn’t even talk to the people at the table
Who just cleaned up all the food from the table
And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level
Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane
That sailed through the air and came down through the room
Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle
And she never done nothin' to William Zanzinger
And you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain't the time for your tears [2]
Black Empowerment
The song tells about the killer of a black barmaid named Hattie Carrol who was killed by a wealthy white man, William Zanzinger. [3]
The 51-year-old barmaid was killed by a 24-year-old, white young man from a wealthy tobacco farming family in Charles County, Maryland, and was sentenced to six months in jail after being convicted of assault.
The song’s lyrics comments about racism in the 1960s. When the killing incident of Carroll happened in 1963, Charles County was strictly segregated by race in public facilities, including the county fair, until in 1967, the schools of Charles County were not integrated. [4]
The incident took place at a Baltimore hotel society gathering, Zanzinger killed Carroll with a cane twirling around his diamond ring finger. [5]
References
- ↑ The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll. wikipedia.org. Retrieved January 28, 2021
- ↑ The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll Bob Dylan. genius.com. Retrieved January 28, 2021
- ↑ The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll Bob Dylan. genius.com. Retrieved January 28, 2021
- ↑ The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll. wikipedia.org. Retrieved January 28, 2021
- ↑ Dylan, Bob. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll. bobdylan.com. Retrieved January 28, 2021