Growing up, there were few promising opportunities for young man of Legg’s stripe in Cajun country and things eventually got difficult and strange: chronic bouts of depression, habitual drug use, small town drama, and arrests soon became routine. During one gloomy episode - deflated, broke, and strung out - Legg climbed the Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, determined to dive into the next life, but after a last minute change of heart, humbly climbed back down and vowed to find a better way to exist. He immediately drove himself to rehab in a stolen Camaro and rededicated himself to his creative pursuits, namely songwriting. He formed the southern tribal rock band, Santeria who had a 10-year run of chaos and bedeviled kookiness (1994-2004). After four albums, they disbanded in an anarchic heap of bad luck, poverty, exhaustion, and voodoo curses they suspected were cast on the band to hasten their demise.
Legg spent the next year living in low-rent motels and trailer parks, writing new songs that tapped into the haunting style of the Delta Blues greats. With an odd ease, the songs poured out, spitting new life into the genre, not by hackneyed imitation, but by infusing original Delta-slide songs with his own experience of growing up in the Deep South—young, white, alienated, and lost. Legg’s Robert Johnson-on-Thorazine-style slide work paired with his droning-rural psychedelia brought the backwoods sounds of Louisiana (hurricanes, cows, cicadas) to life while remaining firmly rooted in the troubled and death-obsessed masters. This batch of songs became the first Brother Dege release, the now critically-acclaimed Folk Songs of the American Longhair (2010) - a record that Quentin Tarantino later referred to as “almost like a greatest hits album” of new Delta blues.
Home-recorded in Alan Lomax-like austerity, the album delivered postmodern tales of desperate southerners, apocalyptic prophecies, midnight angels, hippie drifters, burning barns, and the endless ghosts that haunt the history the Deep South. Quietly self-released with no distribution, no representation, and absolutely no hype, Folk Song of the American Longhair quickly earned 4-star reviews (UNCUT) and gained the attention of numerous tastemakers in film and TV, scoring sync placements on Discovery Channel’s After the Catch, Nat Geo’s Hard Riders, women’s cycling documentary Half the Road, Netflix’s The Afflicted, and most notably hand-picked by Quentin Tarantino for inclusion in the movie and soundtrack to Django Unchained.
Brother Dege quickly expanded his cinematic vision of the South with two follow-up albums: How to Kill a Horse (2013) and Scorched Earth Policy (2015). Teaming with otherworldly slide guitars, country psych, barn burning anthems, the tradition continues with his latest release Farmer’s Almanac (2018), a sprawling, southern concept album that further explores the unique mysteries of small towns.
Brother Dege’s latest album is the critically acclaimed Farmer’s Almanac, an 11-track, southern gothic journey that explores escapism, class structure, and the opiated dark side of America’s small town rural communities. Brother Dege’s fourth album swarms with otherworldly slide guitars, rustic psychedelia, possessed barn burners, and swamp-drenched cinematic songcraft.
Judgment Day
Brother Dege Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On Judgment Day.
St. John of Revelations.
Tales of holy war.
One that may have started before we were born.
Prophets see the future writ in kingdoms of stone.
But ain't none of them know which way the gavel's going to fall on Judgment Day.
On Judgment Day.
Dust to the dust of all.
Some will walk on water while others tend to crawl.
The signs above are heaven sent.
Some come from below.
If you're going to meet the devil, man, don't wait for the governor's call on Judgment Day.
On Judgment Day.
Where will you stand on Judgment day?
In Brother Dege's song Judgment Day, the lyrics speak about the end of times and the concept of judgment that prevails in various religions. The lines "St. John of Revelations. Tales of holy war", a reference to the Book of Revelations in the Bible, talks about the idea of an apocalyptic war, which is a common theme in religious texts. The lyrics suggest that this war may have started before humanity even existed, meaning that it is a predestined event that we are all fated to face.
The verse "Prophets see the future writ in kingdoms of stone" refers to the idea that some spiritual figures have the power to see into the future, often through visions or divine inspiration. However, the following line "But ain't none of them know which way the gavel's going to fall on Judgment Day" suggests that there is still uncertainty about the ultimate fate of humankind. The concept of judgment is central to many religions, and this uncertainty creates a feeling of unease and anxiety. The lyrics further explore this theme with lines such as "Some will walk on water while others tend to crawl" and "If you're going to meet the devil, man, don't wait for the governor's call on Judgment Day." These lines suggest that people will be judged differently, and it's up to us to take responsibility for our choices, as we may face consequences on that final day.
Line by Line Meaning
On Judgment.
Talking about the concept of Judgment.
On Judgment Day.
Referring to the specific day of reckoning where judgement will occur.
St. John of Revelations.
Referencing the biblical figure and book of Revelations which deals with the end of times.
Tales of holy war.
Stories of religious conflicts.
One that may have started before we were born.
The war being alluded to may have been happening for a very long time.
Prophets see the future writ in kingdoms of stone.
Prophets can see events that will happen, as if they were already written in stone.
But ain't none of them know which way the gavel's going to fall on Judgment Day.
Even prophets can't predict the outcome of judgment day.
Ashes to ashes.
Humans return to the earth after death, as ashes.
Dust to the dust of all.
Another way of saying that all humans will return to the earth after death.
Some will walk on water while others tend to crawl.
Some individuals may have more success or good fortune in life compared to others.
The signs above are heaven sent.
The signs or events that occur in life are seen as coming from divine forces.
Some come from below.
However, some negative events may come from more sinister sources.
If you're going to meet the devil, man, don't wait for the governor's call on Judgment Day.
If you're going to have a confrontation with evil, don't wait for it to be sanctioned by a higher authority - deal with it now.
Where will you stand on Judgment day?
Asking the listener where they will be or how they will fare on the day of judgement.
Contributed by Reagan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Douglas Wing
Why do most of your songs have the same Beat and Guitar riffs?? I liked a few songs.. but after listening to more songs.. it turned into the same music... got bored
Bacpkn
So why do you keep listening?