The band consists of Matt Shultz (vocals), Brad Shultz (guitar), Nick Bockrath (guitar), Daniel Tichenor (bass, vocals), Jared Champion (drums) and Matthan Minster (keyboard, vocals, guitar).
Their breakthrough single was Ain't No Rest For The Wicked, which peaked at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100, #32 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. This song was also featured as the intro song for the 2009 video game "Borderlands."
The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
Cage the Elephant Lyrics
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With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger
At a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin'.
And the cops were called in and his weapon took from him
As they rode him in custody down to the station
And booked William Zanzinger for first-degree murder.
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Take the rag away from your face.
William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years
Owns a tobacco farm of six hundred acres
With rich wealthy parents who provide and protect him
And high office relations in the politics of Maryland,
Reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulders
And swear words and sneering, and his tongue it was snarling,
In a matter of minutes on bail was out walking.
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Take the rag away from your face.
Now ain't the time for your tears.
Hattie Carroll was a maid of the kitchen.
She was fifty-one years old and gave birth to ten children
Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage
And never sat once at the head of the table
And didn't even talk to the people at the table
Who just cleaned up all the food from the table
And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level,
Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane
That sailed through the air and came down through the room,
Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle.
And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger.
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Take the rag away from your face.
Now ain't the time for your tears.
In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel
To show that all's equal and that the courts are on the level
And that the strings in the books ain't pulled and persuaded
And that even the nobles get properly handled
Once that the cops have chased after and caught 'em
And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom,
Stared at the person who killed for no reason
Who just happened to be feelin' that way without warnin'.
And he spoke through his cloak, most deep and distinguished,
And handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance,
William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence.
Oh, but you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Bury the rag deep in your face
For now's the time for your tears.
“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” is a protest song by Cage the Elephant, which tells the story of the murder of an African American Hattie Carroll by wealthy tobacco farmer William Zanzinger at a society gathering in Baltimore on February 9, 1963. The song criticizes the way Zanzinger was treated with leniency for his crime due to his social status, while Hattie, a mother of ten who worked as a maid, was just a forgotten victim of society's inequality.
The lyrics describe the events of the murder and the aftermath, juxtaposing Zanzinger's lack of concern with the horrific nature of the crime. The song addresses the hypocrisy of those who claim to be against inequality, only to turn a blind eye when it comes to issues that do not directly affect them. It is a powerful critique of the justice system, society, and racial inequality.
Line by Line Meaning
William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
William Zanzinger murdered Hattie Carroll
With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger
The murder weapon was a cane that he twirled on his finger
At a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin'.
The murder happened at a high-society gathering in Baltimore
And the cops were called in and his weapon took from him
The police took the weapon from Zanzinger when they arrived
As they rode him in custody down to the station
He was taken into custody and escorted to the station
And booked William Zanzinger for first-degree murder.
Zanzinger was charged with first-degree murder
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Addressing those who criticize everything and are not moved by anything
Take the rag away from your face.
Stop hiding behind your facade
Now ain't the time for your tears.
It's time for action, not tears
William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years
Zanzinger, who was only 24 years old
Owns a tobacco farm of six hundred acres
He owned a 600-acre tobacco farm
With rich wealthy parents who provide and protect him
His wealthy parents protected and provided for him
And high office relations in the politics of Maryland,
Zanzinger had connections in Maryland politics
Reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulders
Zanzinger showed no remorse for his action
And swear words and sneering, and his tongue it was snarling,
He was aggressive and defiant, using foul language
In a matter of minutes on bail was out walking.
He was quickly released on bail
Hattie Carroll was a maid of the kitchen.
Hattie Carroll was a kitchen maid
She was fifty-one years old and gave birth to ten children
Carroll was 51 years old and had given birth to 10 children
Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage
She did menial work like carrying dishes and taking out the garbage
And never sat once at the head of the table
She never got the respect she deserved, even at mealtime
And didn't even talk to the people at the table
She was not allowed to socialize with people at the table
Who just cleaned up all the food from the table
She only cleaned up after others
And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level,
She cleaned up everything, including the ashtrays
Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane
She was killed by a blow from Zanzinger's cane
That sailed through the air and came down through the room,
The blow from the cane hit her from across the room
Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle.
He was determined to destroy everything gentle
And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger.
Hattie Carroll never did anything to provoke Zanzinger
In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel
In court, the judge used his gavel to bring order and show the rule of law
To show that all's equal and that the courts are on the level
The judge wanted to show that everyone is equal under the law
And that the strings in the books ain't pulled and persuaded
No one can manipulate the law
And that even the nobles get properly handled
Even people in high positions are not above the law
Once that the cops have chased after and caught 'em
When the police chase down and catch someone
And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom,
The law applies to everyone at all levels
Stared at the person who killed for no reason
The judge looked at Zanzinger, who killed for no reason
Who just happened to be feelin' that way without warnin'.
Zanzinger acted impulsively without any warning signs
And he spoke through his cloak, most deep and distinguished,
The judge spoke sternly and with authority
And handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance,
The judge gave Zanzinger a strong punishment
William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence.
Zanzinger was sentenced to six months in prison
Oh, but you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Addressing those who criticize everything, even when there's a reason to be upset
Bury the rag deep in your face
Stop hiding your feelings behind a mask
For now's the time for your tears.
It's time to show emotion and be moved by this injustice
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind