Dick Justice … Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists who used the name Dick Justice.
Dick Justice (born Henry Franklin Justice april 3, 1903, died September 12,1962), was an influential blues and folk musician who hailed from West Virginia, United States. He recorded ten songs for Brunswick Records in Chicago in 1929. He was heavily influenced by black musicians, particularly Luke Jordan who recorded in 1927 and 1929 for Victor Records. Justice's "Cocaine" is a verse-for-verse cover of the Jordan track of the same name recorded two years earlier. The song "Brownskin Blues" is also stylistically akin the much of Jordan's work but stands on its own as a Justice original. As Jordan hailed from around Lynchburg, Virginia it is perhaps worth speculating that the two may have been associates. Justice is also musically related to Frank Hutchison (with whom he played music and worked as a coal miner in Logan County, West Virginia) and The Williamson Brothers. His recording of the traditional ballad 'Henry Lee' is the opening track of Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music. He also worked closely with Reese Jarvis(1899-1967) who played violin on "Muskrat Rag "and "Poca River Blues".
There was also an alternative rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois named Dick Justice. They formed in late 1991, taking their name from one Richard Justice . . . the associate dean of students at the University of Illinois in charge of student discipline and mediation programs. Original members included Jim Kamp (guitar, vocals), Galen Gondolfi (drums, vocals) and Rob Arrol (bass, vocals). The band played thier first show on January 24, 1992 at a house party (with Bob Rising from Poster Children/Seam guesting on drums). dick justice made a name for themselves throughout the Midwest, through regular touring and playing with the likes of Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Elvis Hitler, Material Issue, Pansy Division, A Flock of Seagulls, Arcwelder, Busker Soundcheck, Tripmaster Monkey, Honcho Overload, The Moon Seven Times, Delta Kings, Walt Mink and one incredibly memorable night with Alcohol Funnycar. The original members released one 7-inch on Mud Records in December 1993. The Lasso Your Heart EP featured the songs "Nine Outta Ten" (also included on the CD comp. Mud Puddle Playoffs) and "Part of Your Problem." Arrol departed in May 1994. During this period he was also rhythm guitarist For Decatur, Illinois' and Medium Cool Recording Artists' Ticks. He reimerged in the fall of 1994 playing guitar and singing with a pop-punk power trio known as "mary me" with braid's Todd Bell on bass on Roy Ewing on drums. They recorded for John Yates' Allied Recordings. Gondolfi and Kamp recruited Chris Green to fill in before relocating to Chicago and asking Jeff Sorensen to assume full-time bass duties. Gondolfi eventually left the band with Paul Pagones taking over on drums. Gondolfi took a brake from drumming to travel and experience many parts of the United States. He came back into the spotlight in St. Louis' Push and currently drums with an outfit known as Airport Elementary. The Kamp, Sorensen, Pagones line-up of dick justice released two 7-inches: DICK JUSTICE ROCK on Evanston, Illinois' ten-spot record company, inc. and Superfancy Heavy Duty Everything on Chicago's Thick Records. Kamp later fronted seminal Chicago bands Team Player and Snaklab All-Tsars (w/Pagones on drums). He currently plays with his brother Paul (Busker Soundcheck) in Ruth Buzzy. On May 25, 2008, the original line-up of Rob Arrol, Galen Gondolfi and Jim Kamp reunited in Champaign, IL for a show at The High Dive. In front of a sell out crowd, dick justice (the band) was introduced by Dick Justice (the man). Others on the bill that night were Driver Has No Cash, Corndolly, The Moon Seven Times, Mother/Menthol and Honcho Overload.
One Cold December Day
Dick Justice Lyrics
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In a bottom of an empty car, a dying hobo lay
He had a girl in yonder's town, she dressed of silk so fine
When she heard that poor old George was dead, she laid her silk aside
"Oh mother, oh mother, let his coffin lay back, and lay his saddle aside
So that I can kiss his sweet pale lips, well I know he'll never kiss mine."
The longest train I ever saw was on the Georgy line
The engine passed at six-fifteen, the cab rolled by at nine
Look up, look down this lonesome road, hang down your head and cry
I see a dove in yonder's hill, she flies from pine to pine
She's moaning for her own true love, and why can't I moan for mine?
The longest train I ever saw was on the Georgy line
The engine passed at six-fifteen, the cab rolled by at nine
Look up, look down this lonesome road, hang down your head and cry
Dick Justice's song "One Cold December Day" tells a story of a dying hobo laying in an empty car by a water tank. As he is about to breathe his last breath, he thinks about his girlfriend who lives in a town nearby. Her name was unknown but he described her as a woman who dressed in fine silk. The hobo's last thoughts are on his girlfriend, and how he would never be able to kiss her again. This language emphasizes the deep emotional connection that he shared with her, despite his transient lifestyle.
The song also describes the longest train that Justice has ever seen. It passed by in three different parts, with the engine rolling by at 6:15 and the cab rolling by at 9. The lyrics encourage listeners to look up and down the lonesome road while they hang their heads and cry. Finally, the song mentions a mourning dove who is flying from pine to pine and grieving the loss of her love. The hobo claims to be unable to mourn for his love like the dove, but his earlier musings on his girlfriend reveal otherwise.
Overall, "One Cold December Day" is a melancholic tale of love and loss, centered around a dying hobo in the depths of winter. It uses vivid language and imagery to paint a picture of a tragic moment in time.
Line by Line Meaning
Down by a Western water tank, one cold December day
On a freezing December day, by the side of a water tank in the West, there was a man lying in an empty car who appeared to be dying.
In a bottom of an empty car, a dying hobo lay
A homeless wanderer was lying in the bottom of an empty car, on the verge of death.
He had a girl in yonder's town, she dressed of silk so fine
The dying man had a lover in a town somewhere nearby, who was known for her luxurious silk clothing.
When she heard that poor old George was dead, she laid her silk aside
When the woman heard that the man she loved had passed away, she set aside her fancy clothing as a sign of mourning.
"Oh mother, oh mother, let his coffin lay back, and lay his saddle aside
So that I can kiss his sweet pale lips, well I know he'll never kiss mine."
The grieving woman asked her mother to arrange for the coffin to be placed in a reclining position and to remove the saddle from the man's body, so she could give him a final kiss despite knowing he would not be able to return it.
The longest train I ever saw was on the Georgy line
The engine passed at six-fifteen, the cab rolled by at nine
The singer recalls seeing a very long train on the Georgia railroad line, with the engine passing at 6:15 and the caboose rolling by at 9.
Look up, look down this lonesome road, hang down your head and cry
The singer urges listeners to gaze up and down the desolate road, while expressing feelings of sadness and despair.
I see a dove in yonder's hill, she flies from pine to pine
She's moaning for her own true love, and why can't I moan for mine?
The artist observes a dove flying from tree to tree on a nearby hill, mourning for its lost mate, and questions why they cannot also mourn for their lost love.
Contributed by Declan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.