The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
Mason Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger
At a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin'
And the cops were brought 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
Disgrace and criticize all fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain't the time for your tears
William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years
Owns a tobacco farm, 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
Oh, 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 these gentle
And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger
Oh, 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
Now's the time for your tears
In Mason Jennings’s song, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, the story of the tragic death of Hattie Carroll, a black maid in 1963, is recounted. The song tells how William Zanzinger, the white son of a wealthy tobacco farmer, killed Hattie Carroll at a social gathering in Baltimore with his cane. Despite the heinous nature of the crime, Zanzinger was given just a six-month sentence. Through the lyrics, Jennings delves into issues of race, power, and privilege, highlighting the unfairness and inequality of the justice system.
The first verse describes the scene of the crime and Zanzinger’s capture by the police. The second verse lays out the privileges and connections Zanzinger possesses, giving him an unfair advantage in society. The third verse tells of Hattie Carroll's life and the unfair treatment she received as a black woman in the 1960s. The final verse recounts Zanzinger’s trial and how the judge, despite trying to demonstrate the equal treatment of the court, gives the murderer a shockingly light sentence.
Line by Line Meaning
William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
William Zanzinger used a cane to strike and kill Hattie Carroll
With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger
William Zanzinger used his cane, which he twirled on his diamond ring finger, to kill Hattie Carroll
At a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin'
The killing of Hattie Carroll occurred at a gathering of high society individuals in a Baltimore hotel
And the cops were brought in and his weapon took from him
The police were called and they took away William Zanzinger's cane, which he used to kill Hattie Carroll
As they rode him in custody down to the station
William Zanzinger was taken into custody and transported to the police station
And booked William Zanzinger for first-degree murder
William Zanzinger was charged with first-degree murder
Oh, but you who philosophize
The singer addresses those who preach philosophical ideals
Disgrace and criticize all fears
The artist suggests that those who preach philosophical ideas tend to look down on others' emotions and fears
Take the rag away from your face
The artist urges those listening to uncover their faces and face reality
Now ain't the time for your tears
The artist suggests that it is not the time for sadness, but rather action
William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years
The singer describes William Zanzinger's age
Owns a tobacco farm, six hundred acres
William Zanzinger is a wealthy farmer with a large tobacco farm
With rich wealthy parents who provide and protect him
William Zanzinger's wealthy parents shelter and defend him
And high office relations in the politics of Maryland
William Zanzinger has powerful connections in Maryland politics
Reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulders
William Zanzinger showed no remorse for his actions
And swear words and sneering, and his tongue it was snarling
William Zanzinger reacted with anger and contempt
In a matter of minutes on bail was out walking
William Zanzinger was quickly released on bail
Hattie Carroll was a maid of the kitchen
Hattie Carroll worked as a kitchen maid
She was fifty-one years old and gave birth to ten children
Hattie Carroll was a mother of ten, and was fifty-one years old when she was killed
Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage
Hattie Carroll's duties included carrying dishes and taking out garbage
And never sat once at the head of the table
Hattie Carroll was never allowed to sit at the head of the table, and was not regarded as an equal by the people she served
And didn't even talk to the people at the table
Hattie Carroll was not even allowed to speak to the people at the table
Who just cleaned up all the food from the table
Hattie Carroll's job was to clean up after and serve the people at the table
And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level
Hattie Carroll was responsible for tasks that were considered to be unpleasant or dirty
Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane
Hattie Carroll was killed by a blow from William Zanzinger's cane
That sailed through the air and came down through the room
The cane that killed Hattie Carroll was swung through the air and struck her
Doomed and determined to destroy all these gentle
The act of killing Hattie Carroll was an attempt to destroy the peace and civility of the gathering
And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger
Hattie Carroll had not done anything to provoke William Zanzinger's attack
In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel
The judge presiding over William Zanzinger's trial symbolizes justice and fairness
To show that all's equal and that the courts are on the level
The judge wants to demonstrate that justice is blind and impartial
And that the strings in the books ain't pulled and persuaded
The judge is implying that no one can escape justice by pulling strings or using influence
And that even the nobles get properly handled
Even those who are considered powerful by society are subject to the law
Once that the cops have chased after and caught 'em
Once the criminals have been pursued and apprehended by the police
And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom
The law applies equally to everyone, regardless of their position in society
Stared at the person who killed for no reason
The judge is looking directly at William Zanzinger, who killed Hattie Carroll without provocation
Who just happened to be feelin' that way without warnin'
William Zanzinger's motivation for killing Hattie Carroll is unclear, and there was no indication that he would do so
And he spoke through his cloak, most deep and distinguished
The judge addressed William Zanzinger with a tone of solemnity and authority
And handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance
The judge issued a severe punishment to William Zanzinger and urged him to repent
William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence
William Zanzinger was sentenced to six months in jail
Bury the rag deep in your face
The artist urges listeners to bury their faces in a rag as a sign of mourning
Now's the time for your tears
The artist suggests that now is the appropriate time to feel sadness and mourn the loss of Hattie Carroll
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind