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The Steam Engine Murders And The Trial Of Seven Bells John

from Fit The Fourth by Tom Slatter

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Fit The Fourth compact disc in a Digipak with booklet. Design by Joe Slatter.

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about

The Steam Engine Murders And The Trial Of Seven Bells John is the first song to name Seven Bells John, though not the first song in the saga.

Lyrically, the song tells us some of what happened in his trial - though every word that every character says is untrue. It also includes some of the newspaper headlines our anti-hero had to endure.

It also includes what I think is my best instrumental melody in the middle.

This was actually written at the same time as most of my first album, but I didn't find a place for it on an album until Fit The Fourth came around.

The very, very end of the song includes the melody turning backwards. This is where the final track on the album begins.

lyrics

We’ve heard the accusations, We’ve heard the counter claims
I say you’re guilty sir,
The evidence is plain
The blood upon your clothing, The powder in your hair,
The looking glass smashed to shards,
And no-one else was there,
Tell the truth,
Say it plain,
There’s not a jury in the land would clear your name

We’ve heard the accusations,
We’ve heard the counter claims
No matter what you say, your guilt is plain

Your honour what you’ve heard here,
It makes a saucy tale
The truth is I’m not a saint,
My good intentions fail,

On the night in question,
I was on the train it’s true,
But not in the lady’s cabin, Past the hour of two,

Don’t believe the things they say
Don’t believe the deeds attached to my good name
Your honour what you’ve heard here,
A travesty, a joke
I’m honest as a summer day is long, I’m honest as a summer day is long.

Come read the latest news of the villain Seven Bells,
Murder on the locomotive, a journey straight through hell,
Three shots fired and one shot struck, pistol to the head,
The only alibi that could get him off free from a witness who has fled

A criminal who claims that he has changed the way he lives,
Previous convictions of the kind you don’t forgive
Says he met the lady for an honest tete tete
Left her in her rooms before the hideous event.
Come read the latest tale of a twisted murderer
Innocent girl shot to death just because she turned him down
Pay no mind to his stories or his wicked lies,
The only path to justice: Seven Bells Dies

You’ve heard the sordid details, You’ve heard the saga through,
The evidence presented, The verdict’s up to you
A woman left for dead, on crowded midnight train
the killer fled into the night, But we all know who’s to blame
So say it right and say it true, Guilty is the verdict you must choose
We’ve heard the accusations, We’ve heard the counter claims
Now Seven Bells has got a price to pay, Seven bells has got a price to pay.

credits

from Fit The Fourth, released June 1, 2015

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Tom Slatter London

A latter-day Victorian street-theatre barker with a guitar promising tales of mystery, imagination, ‘orrible murders and bloody great waving tentacles’ is how Tom Slatter has been described. Since 2010 he has been scaring audiences with six albums and numerous EPs of storytelling songs. ... more

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