Nat Turner Blues

Nat Turner proved that high intelligence and a delusional mind reacting to brutal, sadistic treatment at the hands of slavers can produce a pathological condition which could mirror the oppressor and drive one to madness.  Turner's goal was to completely terrorize the Slaver class and create a general slave uprising. It was terrifying in its simplicity. Free the slaves and kill all white people. The result was over 60 white people dead - women, children, men.  A psychotic response to the intolerable wickedness of slavery. However, the purity and simplicity of Turner's idea turned the South absolutely paranoid.  Over 200 black people were killed by white militia groups in the aftermath of the slave revolt.  Many of these people had nothing to do with anything.  They just "looked guilty" and that was enough.  The South never recovered, tightening and restricting both the movement and educational opportunities of slaves, and limiting freedom of opinion among whites when it came to the subject of slavery.  The effect was to solidify the South as a racist terror state, where black people were as good as dead anywhere they happened to be.  The general political polarization grew every decade until the inevitable Civil War of 1861.  

To call men like Nat Turner and John Brown mere terrorists is too simplistic.  They both hated slavery with a passion that drove them to murder and mayhem.  They embraced the demonic to do battle with the satanic.  That kind of soul sacrifice, like murder, is a terrible thing.  Historical imperatives sometimes make such tragedy inevitable.  

Nat Turner Blues

Mrs. Younger called me Willie
Back when I was flesh and bone.
Everybody called me Willie 
Back when I was flesh and bones.
I was Mrs. Younger's slave,
Did all the chopping, all the chores.

Now that bad man, Nat Turner,
The devil went and took his mind.
That evil man, Nat Turner,
The devil went and stole his mind.
Devil almost got my sister,
She took a blade to Massa's wife.

Well the mrs. she was grateful,
"Willie you have saved my life."
The mrs. she was grateful,
"Willie you just save my life,
But your sister tried to kill me.
You must keep her from my sight."

Militia riding past the gate
They see me on the porch. 
Militia riders at the gate,
They grab me from the porch.
They tell me I look guilty,
Then they rope me to a horse.

They told that horse to gee up
And it dragged me down the road.
They told that horse to gee up, 
Dragged my body down the road.
They all rode up behind me,
Shot my body full of holes.

As my spirit went to heaven,
Nat Turner did I see.  
As I prayed to God in Heaven,
Nat Turner did I see;
Chains all round his ghostly form,
Waving from a burning tree.  

Copyright © 2010, 2014 by David Larstein, all rights reserved.  

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