Veasey and Hawkins first met in the spring of 1960; both were budding blues guitarists. Hawkins later met Hite at Western High School in Detroit, introducing him to Veasey, and the three became friends. The band became locally well-known as a talented rhythm section, and were called on for recording sessions by local producers and record companies such as Don Davis, Fortune Records, and Bob and Chico Hamilton, producers for Golden World Studios. Veasey played bass and Hawkins played guitar for Edwin Starr's hit "Agent Double O Soul" in 1965. They later toured with Starr to support his record and his later hits "Twenty Five Miles" and "War".
Veasey, who was stationed in Fort Lewis, Washington in early 1966, noticed a picture of Jimi Hendrix in a Seattle newspaper story. Although his first response was to laugh at Hendrix's appearance, Veasey remembered the name and face well enough to recognize Hendrix on the album cover of Are You Experienced in a record store in 1967. He pointed the album out to his bandmates, and the three decided to buy the record, mostly intending to play it for laughs. However, their actual response to Hendrix's music was quite different. All three band members were fascinated with Hendrix's screaming rock guitar sound, which was very new at the time, and they played the album over and over again.
Up to the point of discovering Hendrix, Veasey, Hawkins, and Hite had performed soul jazz with rhythm and horns, but they decided to jettison the brass section and become a three-piece psychedelic rock band. At the same time they changed their visual appearance, growing their hair in Afros and wearing psychedelic-inspired clothing.
For a year or so the three emulated the three-piece lineup of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, but soon decided they needed an additional instrument in the band to give them a fuller sound. After a short search, they hit upon Hawkins' younger brother, Charles, as another guitarist. Charles, nicknamed "Charlie Hawk," was more than willing to join, although his older brother wasn't entirely comfortable with having him in the band.
Hawkins and Veasey had been writing songs since they first met at age 14. They turned their hands to writing songs about the turbulent, unjust social and racial issues of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Black Merda recently performed at the Detroit Motown Winter Blast Festival in 2005 and 2006, The Beachland Ballroom Cleveland 2006 , The Ottawa Blues Festival in Ottawa, Ontario 2006, the Central Park Summer Stage Series in New York 2006 and other venues.
The four band members were on their way to a gig in 1968 when Veasey suggested they come up with a new name for the band, as their then-current name, The Soul Agents, didn't fit them any more. Charles Hawkins suggested the name "Murder Incorporated", but this was rejected as being identical to the notorious criminal organization. Considering that many young black people were at that time being killed by the police and the Klan in Detroit and in the south, Veasey wanted to choose a name that would be a shocking reminder to the public of how bad the situation was. Veasey suggested "Black Murder" and the others agreed. Anthony suggested spelling "murder" "merda", So the spelling was changed to "Black Merda" as a way of retaining the original name without having to deal with the negative impact of the word "murder".
Reality
Black Merda Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well you may pray now on to twenty years
And all you're gonna get is just twent years older
By then your burdens will be too much for your shoulders
And Reality will cause your fantasy
to die..cause your fantasy to die, die, die oh why?
cause your fantasy to die, die, die oh why?
Yes you were brought up in the christmas spirit
you couldn't hardly wait for the days to near it
And you think your country is a great democracy
Well they just killed your priest for helping folks like me
And Reality will cause your fantasy
to die..cause your fantasy to die, die, die oh why?
Reality will cause your fantasy to die
cause your fantasy to die, die, die oh why?
These lyrics from Black Merda's song Reality explore the concept of disappointment and disillusionment as it intersects with the ideals of religion, politics, and societal expectations. The first verse suggests that despite one's efforts to pray for a better life, time marches on and the burdens of reality only become heavier. The repeated refrain of "Reality will cause your fantasy to die" underscores this idea of shattered dreams and dashed hopes. This theme is echoed in the second stanza, which describes the contrast between the nostalgic joy of childhood Christmases and the harsh reality of a society that often fails to live up to its democratic ideals, as exemplified by the murder of a priest.
The song can be seen as a critical commentary on the social and political climate of the time it was written in, the late 1960s. The band were known for their mix of psychedelic rock and funk, and often addressed topics such as civil rights and inequality through their music. Here, they use the medium of music to express a universal feeling of disillusionment that is as relevant today as it was then.
Line by Line Meaning
You think if you pray something will answer your prayers
You believe that praying will grant your wishes
Well you may pray now on to twenty years
You have prayed for a long time, but nothing has changed
And all you're gonna get is just twent years older
Despite your prayers, you are only getting older
By then your burdens will be too much for your shoulders
As time passes, your problems will become heavier and harder to bear
And Reality will cause your fantasy to die..cause your fantasy to die, die, die oh why?
Inevitable reality will shatter your dreams and make them disappear
Yes you were brought up in the christmas spirit
You were raised to celebrate Christmas cheerfully
you couldn't hardly wait for the days to near it
You were eager for Christmas to arrive
And you think your country is a great democracy
You believe that your nation is a wonderful example of democracy
Well they just killed your priest for helping folks like me
However, they recently murdered a clergy member who helped marginalized people like yourself
And Reality will cause your fantasy to die..cause your fantasy to die, die, die oh why?
Inevitable reality will shatter your dreams and make them disappear
Reality will cause your fantasy to die
The harsh truth of reality will put an end to your illusions
cause your fantasy to die, die, die oh why?
Your fantasies will perish, leaving you wondering why
Writer(s): Vc L. Veasey Copyright: El Veasey Publishing
Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@NextOrcus
This is one of the best songs I've heard.
@b.g.7580
This band is criminally underrated.
@MrJosuesini
Terribly underappreciated, you´re goddamn right.
@pedotes78
Ali's documentary on PBS brought me here.... thank you
@spideymayne
I'm a younger person, and fairly late in the game on discovering your music, sir, but I am a huge fan. Your music has gotten me through a lot of challenging times the past few years. It's incredible. Thank you.
@TheMoney1973
man... the truth indeed can't keep living in yesterday news. reality is a hard pill baby
@polaroidsky
What a great song that has foreshadowed my future many, many times.
@IIMaRVII
always feels good to come across such great songs on random. really like this one.
@Kbo3o3
this is one of my favorite songs ever, so glad someone put it on youtube! thx and blesses
@TheMightyV
Lupin many thanks That's beautiful!