Who-Hit-John (Morgan’s Healing)
Here’s a new single from HSPP! This song was written and recorded by Dave and I years ago. Dave created the cover art after we discussed the lyrics. Who-Hit-John is an old term used for whiskey. I heard the term used in a John Wayne film. The lyrics combine this archaic country parlance with imagery from Arthurian legend. Hence the artwork: John Wayne as the Warrior-King.
The real meat of the song revolves around the embarrassment and sorrow felt during a break-up. Songs, ya know? So many of ‘em come from the same place. Well, here are the lyrics:
Now I’m spendin’ nights
with who-hit-John
I’m a-hopin’ for Morgan’s healing on Avalon
Now my body’s tremblin’
and my hair is long
I’m-a hoardin’ them hoppy potions on Avalon
Soon as I heard her minced oath
I thought is was silly and both
my cheeks turned red as a beet
and my heart skipped two or three beats
What love was starting to grow
was either blighted or froze
Seeds all dissolved and lost heat
and my cheeks turned red as a beet
Save for the last night we shared
there was nothin’ left there
I turned inward, fast and neat
and my cheeks turned red as a beet
Avalon, to those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, is the legendary island where Arthur’s blade Excalibur was forged. Arthur was taken there to recover from grievous wounds after a real hell of a fight. It seemed to me like that was a good place to imagine myself recovering; even if my wounds were only emotional. Morgan (la Fey) is the name of a witch (or fairy) who at times healed and helped, but sometimes hindered, Arthur.
I ought to mention that I was inspired by Stephen King’s pastiche in The Dark Tower series. He combines the disparate elements of the old west and legendary chivalric lore to create a tragic, resonant tale. The Dark Tower books informed my lyrics in a powerful way around the time that I wrote these. This is one of the results. We hope you enjoy it. We’ll see y’all on Avalon.
- T. Evans
