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Lyr Req/Add: The Prison Fire |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE OHIO PRISON FIRE (Bob Miller) From: Jim Dixon Date: 26 Oct 14 - 01:44 AM Here's another song with the same title and subject matter. I heard it via Spotify, from an album called "Self-Destruction Blues: Drinkin', Smokin' & Murder." The song has a rather bizarre dramatic interlude: THE OHIO PRISON FIRE Words and music by Miller and Mahoney As performed by Bob & Charlotte Miller on Okeh 45442, recorded ca. 24 April 1930. Cries of "Fire!" filled the air. Maddened men ran everywhere, In that big Ohio prison tragedy. Ways to safety were all blocked. Many cells were barred and locked, And the raging flames brought death and agony. Frantic convicts begged for air. Many were cremated there. Oh, the horror of that scene! The moans and pleas! While the red inferno raged, Human beings, trapped and caged, How they prayed and cried to God on bended knees! Picture an old lady there, Climbing up the smold'ring stair, Looking for her boy, a victim of the flames. Now her tears are falling fast, And she finds her son at last. All a-tremble she looks on his charred remains. (Sound of woman crying--violin in background) Man's gruff voice: Is this your son's body, lady? Woman's voice: (crying all the while) Oh, this might be him.—Oh, he's little and frail like that.—Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy, it's Mother, Honey, Mother.—Oh, Mother knows you were good.—You were always good to Mother, weren't you dear? Man's voice: Can you identify this body? Woman: (still weeping) Oh, sure, sure, I'll take him.—I'll take my boy back now.—The state's finished with him.—The state's finished with all of these bodies, these poor charred bodies.—Oh, who's to blame for this awful, awful thing? Who's to blame?--(now hysterical) Oh, bodies, bodies, bodies! I can't stand it! I can't stand it! I can't stand it! (Fade out) Now the state so graciously Gives his body back to her, After life has flown and he has paid the toll. Prison bars kept them apart, Kept him from her lonely heart, But they can't imprison his immortal soul. Oh, society may sneer At these convicts lying here. After all, they're human, be they what they may. Judge not each man for his crime, For we'll all be judged sometime, When the Master calls us on the Judgment Day. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: Jim Dixon Date: 24 Oct 06 - 11:29 PM Oops! I missed 12-stringer's post above. I see The Ohio Historical Society had more to say about the fire than I gave them credit for. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: Jim Dixon Date: 22 Oct 06 - 08:44 PM The Online 78 rpm Discographical Project lists recordings of OHIO PRISON FIRE by B & C Barnes, Bob Miller, Miller & Burnett, and Carson Robison. About the fire itself, The Ohio Historical Society has only this to say:
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: Duke Date: 20 Oct 06 - 09:44 PM Bob the postman.......thanks very much..duke |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: Peace Date: 20 Oct 06 - 08:14 PM Wonderful. PLEASE get the above post as LYRIC ADDED |
Subject: Lyr Add: THE OHIO PRISON FIRE From: Bob the Postman Date: 20 Oct 06 - 08:08 PM Here is the text from a recording of "The Ohio Prison Fire" by Frank Luther who sure does sound a lot like Carson J. Robison--from a compilation CD called "True Songs Of Tragedy" distributed by The Music Barn. THE OHIO PRISON FIRE Locked in the cells of a prison A prison much too small Convicts were jammed and crowded Within that cold gray wall Four thousand men were living As only rats should dwell Iron bars all around them Living a life of hell All kinds of men thrown together Some that were bad from the start Others who got into trouble Men really good at heart Some of them only waiting For death to bring the end Others who longed for freedom To start their lives again Then came a night of disaster When all the world held its breath Fire broke out in the prison Bringing destruction and death Iron doors were locked on the convicts Guards found the keys too late Three hundred lives were taken Three hundred souls met their fate Burned in the minds of the rescued That scene will never die Men praying God to release them Men giving up to die Men who forgot they were convicts Struggled with all their might And in the hell of that prison Heroes were found that night Three hundred lives have been taken And someone should have to pay For we know that someone has blundered When men must die this way Each one was God's own creation Each with a heart and soul And God don't want even convicts To die like rats in a hole |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: 12-stringer Date: 20 Oct 06 - 06:05 PM Sketch of the incident is given here: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=558 but not the text of the song. The fire took place on 21 April 1930. Just 4 days later Robison was making the rounds of the NY recording studios with a song about it. The loss of life was extreme, and Robison's song is very empathetic with the inmates. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: Sorcha Date: 20 Oct 06 - 02:43 PM Glad that is settled! :) |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: Duke Date: 20 Oct 06 - 02:38 PM That's the song, for sure. Thanks very much for the information. I had the 78 when I was a kid and for some reason the song has been in my mind ever since. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: 12-stringer Date: 20 Oct 06 - 02:11 PM No, it's the 1930 fire at the Columbus Prison in Ohio. Carson Robison wrote the song, and there were about a dozen recordings, mostly by CJR under pseudonyms, for various hillbilly labels, made the last week of April 1930. With a little search I found the first 2 verses of the song via the Wayback Machine (the page Google comes up with no longer exists), but there was more to it than this. I used to have the song on 78 but it broke many years ago. Locked in the cells of a prison A prison much too small Convicts were jammed and crowded Within that cold gray wall Four thousand men were living As only rats should dwell Iron bars all around them Living a life of hell All kinds of men thrown together Some that were bad from the start Others who got into trouble Men really good at heart Some of them only waiting For death to bring the end Others who longed for freedom To start their lives again The Carson Robison Papers are at Pittsburg University, in Kansas and include both printed and manuscript copies of "The Prison Fire." Whether they'd be willing to photocopy it for you is something you'd have to ask the Special Collections Department there. http://library.pittstate.edu/spcoll/ndxrobison.html This site offers a 1932 CJR songbook, with the tune, for $35 http://www.the-forum.com/EPHEMERA/country1.htm May be higher than your interest in the song, however! One of the Robison 78s of this song is available on CD here, but it's from Germany http://www.dagmar-anita-binge.de/ccd207-208.htm |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: Peace Date: 20 Oct 06 - 01:52 PM Is it about the fire of 1884 in Stillwater? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: Sorcha Date: 20 Oct 06 - 12:09 PM More info needed. Artist, time period, geography, etc. |
Subject: Lyr Req: The Prison Fire From: Duke Date: 20 Oct 06 - 10:20 AM Looking for the lyrics to the Prison Fire. Locked in the cells of a prison, a prison much too small...etc Any help would be appreciated. |
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