This week's project was to do a rewrite. Originally from an assignment from Mitchell in Round 6, Week 7, this became my first murder song. Restricted to a tragedy that happened locally within my lifetime, I tried to tell this story from the villain's perspective.
The best critique from Mitchell and Doug were for me to rewrite the choruses, elaborating more on the story. I've always kept that in the back of mind, though I've been playing it live since I wrote it. Knowing that I plan to record it relatively soon, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to work on the choruses. It still may need some tweaking - and certainly some getting used to - before it's final phase. I left the original chorus intact at the end, at least for now, because of the way the song wraps up.
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Notes from the original: "This is a song about a 19 year old man, Steven Van McHone, who murdered his mom, Mildred Adams and step-dad, Wesley Adams Sr. in 1990, in Surry County. He was executed in 2005.
All I know for sure is that they lived somewhere off of 268, meaning that specifically Rockford Road, is probably inaccurate, although Rockford Road crosses 268. Other facts are bent as well. Why Steven was arguing over money specifically, I'm unsure of. Also, since I chose to write from the villain’s perspective, I can only guess how he really felt."
lyrics
“Rockford Road”
Verse 1:
Livin back with momma cause some larceny
Try to get ahead but world's against me
oh, lord, the world's against me
Junior's got it all, a wife and child
Air Force Captain - just gets me riled,
yeah, to see that smug smile
Rare day of fishing with the family,
'cept they ain't cut from the same damn tree,
no, I'd rather go drinking
Jack and coke in a haze of smoke
Money from the drawer now I ain't broke tonight,
I'm feelin about right
Chorus 1:
King and a three, the rest of my roll
Hit me, I'm all in
Busted again off of Siloam Road
The tires start screaming
Verse 2:
Just past twelve, they were going to bed,
but momma and her husband yelling,
splittin my head, I'm seeing red
Pistol from the camper, loaded with lead,
Three shots to the back now my Momma's dead,
come get some step-dad
Junior makes the call to 911,
stops to take my gun then he's back on the phone,
but I've got another one
Anger on the trigger fires a round
His daddy jumps in front, knocks him to the ground,
he'll never make another sound
Chorus 2:
Shotgun stunned in the devil's blood
But action pumping
Quick hesitation on Rockford Road
Tables start turning
Verse 3:
Junior got a hold of that shotgun,
ans held it to my head till the sheriff come,
oh, what have I done?
The whiskey wore off before I was in cuffs,
junior wouldn't kill me though I pleaded enough,
yeah, he wouldn't call my bluff
They sentenced me to die in a Raleigh chair, fifteen years to think back to there, and all I could say was “I am so sorry”
Chorus 3:
Glare from the window could freeze a soul
Junior won't forgive
Burning forever for Rockford Road
Only legend lives
Chorus: 4
Fast was the killing in Rockford Road
Fast was the killing
Fast was the killing in Rockford Road
Fast was the killing
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