Joshua Gone Barbados

by DEADMAN

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about

A song by Eric von Schmidt, a painter and folksinger, died February 2, 2007 in Connecticut. Bob Dylan wrote of him that “He could sing the bird off the wire and the rubber off the tire, he can separate the men from the boys and the note from the noise". But why should that be of interest to people in St. Vincent? Because his most recorded and most famous song, "Joshua Gone Barbados", is about an incident that happened near Georgetown, St. Vincent Island. Ebenezer Joshua was the Prime Minister at the time of a major strike in the sugar cane business. Joshua went to Barbados for a conference at the heat of the strike, causing the people to feel abandoned.

lyrics

Cane standin' in the fields gettin' old and red
Lot of misery in Georgetown three men layin' dead
Joshua head of the government he said strike for better pay
Cane cutters are strikin' but Joshua gone away
Joshua gone Barbados staying in a big hotel
People on St Vincent got many sad tales to tell
The sugar mill owner told the strikers I don't need you to cut my cane
Bring me another bunch of fellas your strike be all in vain
Get a bunch of tough fellas bring 'em from Zion Hill
Bring 'em in a bus to Georgetown know somebody could kill
Sunny Child the overseer I swear he's an ignorant man
Walkin' through the canefields pistol in his hand
Joshua gone Barbados just like he don't know people on the island got no place to go
Police givin' protection new fellas cuttin' the cane
Strikers can't do nothin' strike be all in vain
Sunny Child cussed the strikers wave his pistol round
They're beatin' Sunny with a cutlass beat him to the ground
There's a lot of misery in Georgetown you can hear all the women bawl
Joshua gone Barbados he don't care at all
Cane standin' in the fields gettin' old and red
Sunny Child in the hospital pistol on his bed

credits

released February 19, 2013
Recorded on Valentine's Day, 2013 in the morning after coffee at The Troubadour Studio.

Crew:
Steven Collins: vocal, guitar, bass, keys, hand-drums
Willard: tail and tambourine

www.thetroubadourstudio.com

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about

DEADMAN Austin, Texas

Formed in 1999 by Steven Collins as an avenue to explore songwriting, DEADMAN has toured all over the world but makes it's home in the Austin, TX area.

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