"The Ashes of St. Anthony's"

[Deleted]

So here's a new one, yet another uplifting and glass-is-half-full tune I wrote based on a true story. The subject this time was a dreadful fire at St. Anthony's Hospital in Effingham, Ill., back in April 1949.

St. Anthony's was an old wood and brick building built in the 1800s. Fire safety was not something they incorporated into the design, so when the fire started, it pretty much continued unabated until there was nothing left. Seventy-five people died, including 14 newborns in the nursery. I grew up in Casey, about 30 miles east of Effingham, and even in the '60s and '70s, people still talked about the fire.

I wrote the song from the standpoint of a father who had a newborn and wife who died in the fire. I figured there is some horrible irony in a guy enlisting in the Army right after Pearl Harbor, making it through four years of war, coming home to start a family and then losing it all during peacetime.

A few songwriting notes: I had the guy being born in 1924 because I needed something that rhymed with "war." That would've made him 17 at the time of Pearl Harbor, and I did some research and back then, 17 was the lower end of the enlistment age. (In fact, later in the war, the government lowered the draft age to 17.)

Also, while many -- myself included -- consider "Japs" to be an offensive term, I wanted to write this song in the guy's voice and that's a word he would've used. I can attest that growing up in the area in the '60s and '70s, vets still used the word "Japs." That said, if I can figure a way to write the line without it, I'll probably re-write it.

I basically wrote this song because I wanted to get the words "Effingham" and "Falstaff" in a song. My father wasn't a drinking man -- you could probably count on one hand the times I saw him drinking a beer -- but when he did drink beer, it was Falstaff. Probably because it was the cheapest. (My parents were very frugal, a trait I never seemed to pick up from them.) I figured if I'm going to mention "Effingham" in a song, the song's got to be about (or at least touch on) the St. Anthony's fire.

Also, when you read the lyrics, some of the lines are real clunky from a rhyme-scheme standpoint. They are less so when I sing it, although some of the lines could still use some tweaking.

Part of the inspiration for the song was that I've had James Keelaghan's "Cold Missouri Waters" floating around in my head for the past few days.

I'll probably record a video of the tune soon and stick it up on YouTube.

So here it is, and as always, it is copyright 2008 by David Hanners.


THE ASHES OF ST. ANTHONY’S

I was born in Effingham in 1924
When the Japs hit Pearl Harbor I went off to war
When the war was over, I wanted a family
But it all come to ruin in the ashes of St. Anthony’s

Louise was my sweetheart and we lived a dream
In this little town, quiet and serene
Had a good job at the Norge plant, south part of town
We bought a house soon as we had the money down

When Louise's water broke we sped to St. Anthony's
She gave birth to a boy on the night of April 3
But the very next night, that fire took their life
Seventy-five victims, my newborn son and wife

They say they don’t know where the fire began
The flames showed no mercy to any woman or man
A few, they got out, but most was trapped inside
Fourteen newborns in the nursery; all of them died

They built St. Anthony’s out of timber and brick
So the fire ate that hospital and ate it up quick
When the firemen arrived it was one big fireball
Three hours later there was nothing left but walls

Since that awful night I don’t know who I’m supposed to be
Someone strikes a match and it scares the hell out of me
They say life’s a tragedy and you can either cry or laugh
So hey, bartender, line up one more Falstaff

I was born in Effingham in 1924
Now the ghosts of this town won’t leave me alone
I think about the dreams I had for my family
All come to ruin in the ashes of St. Anthony’s


(Edited to re-write the first two lines of the third verse. I had a friend of mine read it whose songwriting I respect and he made the observation that as the song was written, it doesn't really explain early on what St. Anthony's is, so I dealt with that by rewriting the third verse to explain that. Or at least explain it better than it was previously explained....)

(Edited yet again to add the "water broke" part in the third verse and smooth out a couple of lines in the the fifth verse.)

[iamjohnne]

wow

[mccoyblues]

Really liked the song. Love a great story song, even the sad ones.

On the "Japs" line. I'm no songwriter but why not use "bombs", "planes", "war" if the word Japs is going to offend.

[Cornflake]

It's a good one, David. It's an interesting premise and your lyrics are always well crafted.

It's cheery, of course, as usual.

As for "Japs," it's certainly authentic. My dad was a marine in that theater. But I agree with Mark that you can avoid the reactions and distractions that word might cause by using "bombs" or some other approach.

[Marshall]

I basically wrote this song because I wanted to get the words "Effingham" and "Falstaff" in a song.

As honorable a reason as you can have for writing a song.


Another heart warming, uplifting, and carefree tune from the pen and spirit of Mr. Hanners.

;D ;D ;D

[Deleted]

Thanks. Although, in retrospect, I'm wondering if it was actually Falls City Beer that I was thinking about....