Ghosts And Zombies: Ghost Rider

Suicide: Ghost Rider

[purchase]

"Ghost rider, motorcycle hero...

Babybabybabybaby he's a-screamin´ the truth...
America, America is killing its youth..."

Alan Vega may describe his Ghost Rider as a good looking guy "sneakin´ round round round in a blue jumpsuit", but we know better of course. Listening to Vega´s hyperventilating vocals and Martin Rev´s hypnotic synth, he´s actually quite easy to picture. High on the hog, the Ghost Rider is approaching fast, sporting a Captain America helmet and wearing ragged leathers, or maybe an olive green flak jacket with slogans written on the back in black marker. He´s the four horsemen of the apocalypse all rolled into one, and he´s coming right at you.

Domestic Violence : Family murder-suicide edition

Suicide : Frankie Teardrop

[purchase]

Doc & Merle Watson : The Lawson Family Murder

[purchase]

Two songs which are worlds apart musically, but which deal with the same subject : how men suddenly go amok and kill their whole family before comiting suicide. The first song by Suicide is probably one of the most frightening pieces of music ever made with its cold synthetizers and Alan Vega's inhuman screams.

The second one is a topical folk song about a real murder committed in 1929 by a tobacco farmer in North Carolina (the Watsons home state). Doc Watson took it from the Stanley Brothers. In contrast with Suicide's brutality, he sings it with a gentle voice and on a peaceful 3/4 beat, which make the story even more terrible.

While in the Suicide lyrics the killer acts out of desperation, the reason why Charlie Lawson killed his whole family is still mysterious, although there have been rumors of incest in the family, as you can see here.