The band released three independent singles: Coffin Maker, Cursed and Fire, and disbanded circa 1983.
Singer Mick Hand is nowadays a window cleaner in Haverhill
Guitarist Gary O' Connor is in a new band called "Long Bone Trio"
Brooklyn NY record label Sacred Bones has released the music of 13th Chime officially on a 2 LP collection, and one CD. 20 tracks, including alternate, demo and single versions. 20 tracks in all.
Available April 2008.
Coffin Maker
13th Chime Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De mortus nill nisi bonum
Sanded wood in corse black hair
He liked to think that no one cared
He often tried to nail me in
He laughed and joked made mindless sin
Oh ooh oh ooh
Black is the colour of your hair
Lead us not into despair
I I I knew the coffin maker
I I I knew the coffin maker
I knew it
Something bad it couldn't touch
The smell of years it meant too much
A shadow in the distance
My mind was lost to his existance
Oh ooh oh ooh
Oh ooh oh ooh
Black is the colour of your hair
Lead us not into despair
I I I loved the coffin maker
I I I loved the coffin maker
I loved it
De mortus nill nisi bonum
They walk the ice cold freezer room
We no longer lie on slabs of lead
Don't don't speak ill of the dead
Oh ooh oh ooh
Oh ooh oh ooh
Black is the colour of your hair
Lead us not into despair
I I I killed the coffin maker
I I I killed the coffin maker
I killed it
Oh ooh oh ooh
Oh ooh oh ooh
The song "Coffin Maker" by 13th Chime tells a story about a coffin maker who is no longer alive. The opening line "De mortus nill nisi bonum" is Latin for "Of the dead, speak no evil." The first stanza describes the coffin maker as having sanded wood in coarse black hair and thinking that no one cared. The next line speaks of the coffin maker's attempts to nail the singer in, his laughter, and mindless sin. The chorus then repeats the phrase "Black is the color of your hair" twice and urges listeners not to despair.
The second stanza speaks of something bad that couldn't touch the coffin maker, the smell of years that meant too much, and the coffin maker's presence casting a shadow on the singer's thoughts. The next chorus changes the lyrics slightly, saying "I loved the coffin maker" instead of "I knew the coffin maker." The third and final stanza speaks of people no longer lying on slabs of lead in a freezer room and the importance of not speaking ill of the dead. However, the chorus changes once more in the final line, revealing that the singer killed the coffin maker.
Line by Line Meaning
De mortus nill nisi bonum
We should not speak ill of the dead.
De mortus nill nisi bonum
We should not speak ill of the dead.
Sanded wood in corse black hair
The coffin maker had hair as black as a corpse, and worked with sanded wood.
He liked to think that no one cared
The coffin maker believed that nobody cared about him or his work.
He often tried to nail me in
The coffin maker tried to trap the artist by nailing them inside a coffin.
He laughed and joked made mindless sin
The coffin maker joked around while committing the questionable act of making coffins for the dead.
Oh ooh oh ooh
Repeating melody with no distinct meaning.
Black is the colour of your hair
The coffin maker had very dark hair.
Lead us not into despair
We shouldn't be too sad about death.
I I I knew the coffin maker
The artist knew the coffin maker personally.
I I I knew the coffin maker
The singer knew the coffin maker personally.
I knew it
The artist has knowledge or familiarity with a subject or issue.
Something bad it couldn't touch
The singer is unable to be affected by ominous things.
The smell of years it meant too much
The smell of the past carried with it too much importance or weight.
A shadow in the distance
A blurry figure in the background, far away.
My mind was lost to his existance
The artist's thoughts were consumed by the knowledge of the coffin maker's existence.
I I I loved the coffin maker
The artist had feelings of affection for the coffin maker.
I I I loved the coffin maker
The singer had feelings of affection for the coffin maker.
I loved it
The singer really enjoyed something.
They walk the ice cold freezer room
People walk through a cold room where dead bodies are kept on ice.
We no longer lie on slabs of lead
Death used to be dealt with in a different way in the past.
Don't don't speak ill of the dead
We shouldn't talk badly about people who have passed away.
Oh ooh oh ooh
Repeating melody with no distinct meaning.
I I I killed the coffin maker
The artist is responsible for the coffin maker's death.
I I I killed the coffin maker
The singer is responsible for the coffin maker's death.
I killed it
The singer was responsible for something ending or being destroyed.
Oh ooh oh ooh
Repeating melody with no distinct meaning.
Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@helderlauriano3700
De mortus nill nisi bonum
De mortus nill nisi bonum
Sanded wood in corse black hair
He liked to think that nobody cared
He often tried to nail me in
He laughed and joked made mindless sin
Black is the colour of your hair
Lead us not into despair
I I I knew the coffin maker
I I I knew the coffin maker
I knew him!
Something bad it couldn't touch
The smell of years it meant too much
A shadow in the distance
My mind was lost to his existance
Black is the colour of your hair
Lead us not into despair
I I I loved the coffin maker
I I I loved the coffin maker
I loved him!
De mortus nill nisi bonum
They walk the ice cold freezer room
We no longer lie on slabs of lead
Don't don't speak ill of the dead
Black is the colour of your hair
Lead us not into despair
I I I killed the coffin maker
I I I killed the coffin maker
I killed him!
@robertcotton9091
Classic Punk, Great Band. remember coming from Peterborough to watch and ending up camping afterwards in Haverhill....
@3951jessietessy
My daddy is the bass in this!:)<333
@johnno.
Yo..
@gorillafighter19
Ur dad hella cool lol
@atillacnar5785
daddy huh
@attackdelay
Ok Jessica
@love-li9qt
TELL UR DAD TO MAKE AN INSTAGRAM IM TRYNA FOLLOW MY FAV BAND GODDAMN IT
@Bungaroosh
Reminds me so much of Vic’s pub, the Railway, Braintree, 1980. Fuck, they were amazing days.
@RadioSchz0
It's one of my favorites. Thanks for commenting!
@TheCaptain64
wow grew up with gary and i did have a copy of this 30 years back nearly didnt realize this was on the tube fantastic.