When Jackson Frank was eleven years old, a furnace exploded at his school, sending a ball of flames down corridors until it ended up in Frank's music classroom in the Cleveland Hill Elementary School in Cheektowaga, New York. The fire killed fifteen of his fellow students and burned Frank over more than half his body.[1] It was during his time in the hospital that he was first introduced to playing music, when a teacher, Charlie Castelli, brought in an acoustic guitar to keep Frank occupied during his recovery. When he was 21, he was awarded an insurance cheque of $110,500 for his injuries, giving him enough to "catch a boat to England."
His eponymous 1965 album, Jackson C. Frank, was produced by Paul Simon while the two of them were also playing folk clubs in England. Frank was so shy during the recording that he asked to be shielded by screens so that Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, and Al Stewart (who also attended the recording) could not see him, claiming "I can't play. You're looking at me." The most famous track, "Blues Run the Game", was covered by Simon and Garfunkel, and later by Wizz Jones, Counting Crows, Colin Meloy, Bert Jansch, Laura Marling, and Robin Pecknold (White Antelope), while Nick Drake also recorded it privately. Another song, "Milk and Honey", appeared in Vincent Gallo's film The Brown Bunny, and was also covered by Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, and Sandy Denny, whom he dated for a while. During their relationship, Jackson convinced Sandy to give up nursing (then her profession) and concentrate on music full-time.
Although Frank was well received in England for a while, in 1966 things took a turn for the worse as his mental health began to unravel. At the same time he began to experience writer's block. His insurance payment was running out so he decided to go back to the United States for two years. When he returned to England in 1968 he was deemed a different person. His depression, stemming from the childhood trauma of the classroom fire, had increased and he had no self-confidence. Al Stewart recalled that: "He [Frank] proceeded to fall apart before our very eyes. His style that everyone loved was melancholy, very tuneful things. He started doing things that were completely impenetrable. They were basically about psychological angst, played at full volume with lots of thrashing. I don't remember a single word of them, it just did not work. There was one review that said he belonged on a psychologist's couch. Then shortly after that, he hightailed it back to Woodstock again, because he wasn't getting any work."
While in Woodstock, he married Elaine Sedgwick, an English former fashion model. They had a son and later a daughter, Angeline. After his son died of Cystic Fibrosis, Frank went into a period of great depression and was ultimately committed to an institution. By the early 1970s Frank began to beg aid from friends. Karl Dallas wrote an enthusiastic piece in 1975 in Melody Maker, and in 1978, his 1965 album was re-released as Jackson Frank Again, with a new cover sleeve, although this did not encourage fresh awareness of Frank.
In 1984, Frank took a trip to New York City in a desperate bid to locate Paul Simon, but he ended up sleeping on the sidewalk. His mother, who had been in hospital for open heart surgery, found him gone with no forwarding address when she arrived home. He was living on the street and was frequently admitted and discharged from various institutions. He was treated for paranoid schizophrenia, a diagnosis that was refuted by Frank himself as he had always claimed that he actually had depression caused by the trauma he had experienced as a child.
Just as Frank’s prospects seemed to be at their worst, a fan from the area around Woodstock, Jim Abbott, discovered him in the early 1990s. Abbott had been discussing music with Mark Anderson, a teacher at the local college he was attending. The conversation had turned to folk music, which they both enjoyed, when Abbott asked the teacher if he had heard of Frank. He recollected: "I hadn’t even thought about it for a couple of years, and he goes, ‘Well yes, as a matter of fact, I just got a letter from him. Do you feel like helping a down-on-his-luck folk singer?"
Frank, who had known Anderson from their days at Gettysburg College, had decided to write him to ask if there was anywhere in Woodstock he could stay after he had made up his mind to leave New York City. Abbott phoned Frank, and then organized a temporary placement for him at a senior citizens’ home in Woodstock. Abbott was stunned by what he saw when he travelled to New York to visit Frank.
"When I went down I hadn’t seen a picture of him, except for his album cover. Then, he was thin and young. When I went to see him, there was this heavy guy hobbling down the street, and I thought, ‘That can’t possibly be him’...I just stopped and said ‘Jackson?’ and it was him. My impression was, ‘Oh my God’, it was almost like the elephant man or something. He was so unkempt, dishevelled.” A further side effect of the fire was a thyroid malfunction causing him to put on weight. “He had nothing. It was really sad. We went and had lunch and went back to his room. It almost made me cry, because here was a fifty-year-old man, and all he had to his name was a beat-up old suitcase and a broken pair of glasses. I guess his caseworker had given him a $10 guitar, but it wouldn’t stay in tune. It was one of those hot summer days. He tried to play Blues Run The Game for me, but his voice was pretty much shot."
Soon after this, Frank was sitting on a bench in Queens, New York while awaiting a move to Woodstock, when someone shot him in his left eye and consequently blinded him. At first no details were known, but it was later determined that children from the neighborhood were firing a pellet gun indiscriminately at people and Frank happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Abbott then promptly helped him move to Woodstock. During this time, Frank began recording some demos of new songs. Frank’s resurfacing led to the first CD release of his self-titled album. In some pressings, Frank's later songs were included as a bonus disc with the album.
Frank died of pneumonia and cardiac arrest in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on March 3, 1999, at the age of 56.
Though he never achieved fame during his lifetime, his songs have been covered by many well-known artists, including Simon and Garfunkel, Counting Crows, Nick Drake, Sandy Denny, Bert Jansch, Laura Marling, and Robin Pecknold (as White Antelope) of Fleet Foxes. Frank's song "I Want To Be Alone", also known as "Dialogue," appeared on the soundtrack for the film Daft Punk's Electroma. Soulsavers covered "Blues Run the Game" on their single "Revival" (7" vinyl, 30 April 2007). Marianne Faithfull covered Frank's arrangement of a traditional song, "Kimbie" on her 2008 album Easy Come, Easy Go and included the song in the repertoire of her 2009 tour. Erland & The Carnival also covered "My Name Is Carnival," apparently Frank's favourite song. Bert Jansch also covered this song as a gesture to Frank.
Sandy Denny's song, "Next Time Around," contains coded references to Frank, her ex-boyfriend. "Marcy's Song" is played by Patrick, John Hawkes' character, in the 2011 film Martha Marcy May Marlene and "Marlene" plays in the closing credits. Laura Barton's BBC Radio 4 programme "Blues Run the Game", first broadcast 20th November 2012, included interviews with Al Stewart, John Renbourn, Jim Abbott and John Kay as well as archive material of Jackson C. Frank talking and singing.
Halloween Is Black As Night
Jackson C. Frank Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Halloween is black as night it seems
They got little pointed heads
And pointed teeth
Tail beneath their legs about four feet
With their pot-bellied skeletons
Drowning in defeat
No one asks how they got that way
No one hit's them hard enough to pray
No school, no work, no jobs
Every incident a mob’s
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
Little killers for over fifty years
From dictators to followers with spears
No national relief, no government belief
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
From cannibals finally to dachau
Feed them and they'll kill you somehow
When dealing with the nations
Sniper fire in all directions
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
In "Halloween Is Black As Night," Jackson C. Frank uses the metaphor of Halloween to depict the dark and sinister nature of humanity. The repetition of the line "Halloween is black as night it seems" emphasizes the pervasive darkness that seems to overshadow the world. The imagery of "little pointed heads and pointed teeth" and a "tail beneath their legs" suggests the presence of creatures or beings that are menacing and dangerous. These descriptions symbolize the destructive and harmful tendencies that exist within people.
The lyric "pot-bellied skeletons drowning in defeat" represents the internal struggles and turmoil that individuals often face. Pot-bellied skeletons can be seen as a metaphor for the suppressed pain and emptiness people carry within them, which eventually leads to their downfall and defeat. This line highlights the emotional turmoil that lies beneath the surface, often unnoticed by others.
The following verses delve into the idea that the darkness of Halloween is not limited to a single night but extends to various aspects of society. Frank sings about how nobody questions how things have become this way and how nobody takes action to change it. Society is portrayed as apathetic, with no concern for the consequences of their actions. The mention of dictators, followers with spears, and incidents turning into mobs further emphasizes the chaos and violence that prevail in the world.
The song then turns its focus to the idea that darkness and evil can be found in various forms, from cannibals to atrocities like Dachau, a concentration camp during World War II. Frank suggests that even if one provides for these malevolent forces, they will still turn against you. The last line, "sniper fire in all directions," underscores the prevalent chaos and confusion that exists in the world, with harm coming from all sides.
Overall, "Halloween Is Black As Night" exposes the darker side of humanity, portraying a world filled with malevolence, decay, and a lack of empathy. It serves as a reminder to acknowledge and confront the darkness that exists both individually and collectively within society.
Line by Line Meaning
Halloween is black as night it seems
The state of Halloween is sinister and dark
They got little pointed heads
They possess small, sharp-minded intellects
And pointed teeth
And possess sharp, predatory nature
Tail beneath their legs about four feet
They have hidden malicious intentions guiding their actions
With their pot-bellied skeletons
Their inner selves are burdened by their wrongdoings
Drowning in defeat
Suffering from overwhelming failures and losses
No one asks how they got that way
No one questions the origins of their wickedness
No one hit's them hard enough to pray
No one punishes them severely enough to repent
No school, no work, no jobs
No education, employment, or opportunities for them
Every incident a mob’s
Every action they commit resembles a chaotic mob
Halloween is black as night it seems
The darkness of Halloween persists
Little killers for over fifty years
They have been relentless murderers for a long time
From dictators to followers with spears
They range from oppressive leaders to blind followers with weapons
No national relief, no government belief
There is no comfort or trust in the authorities
Halloween is black as night it seems
The ominous nature of Halloween endures
From cannibals finally to Dachau
From flesh-eaters to a place of Nazi concentration camp horrors
Feed them and they'll kill you somehow
If you provide them with any opportunity, they will harm or destroy you
When dealing with the nations
When engaging in interactions among countries
Sniper fire in all directions
There is a constant threat of deadly attacks from every angle
Halloween is black as night it seems
The malevolence of Halloween persists
Halloween is black as night it seems
The darkness of Halloween endures
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Justin Stuardi
what a great song. lyrically he was one of the best. His situation was unfortunate, but the music he made before going off the grid was untouchable
Hélène Verdier
I've just discovered him, his writting is good, his guitar better than Guthrie's
AK Wiley
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
They got little pointed heads and pointed teeth
Tail beneath their legs about four feet
With their pot-bellied skeletons drowning in defeat
Halloween is black as night it seems
No-one asks how they got that way
No-one hits them hard enough to pray
No school, no work, no jobs
Every incident a mobs
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
Little killers for over fifty years
From dictators to followers with spears
No national relief; no government belief
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
From cannibals finally to jack-hounds
Feed them and they'll kill you somehow
When dealing with the nations
Sniper fire in all directions
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
Onur Sarıçiçek
he almost sounds like Dave v Ronk at this stage :)
cameron
Halloween 2020, RIP Jackson