Dallas 1PM

Album: Strong Arm Of The Law (1980)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • President of the United States John F. Kennedy was shot around 12:30 local time in Dallas. Most Americans learned of the assassination when newsman Walter Cronkite announced his death on the air, stating, "President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time"

    In an interview with Saxon lead singer Biff Byford, he told Songfacts: "I was 12, so I remember seeing it on TV and I remember learning about it in the history lessons at school. And then, the first time we went to America, it just stuck in my mind. After reading a couple of books about it and seeing various films and history lessons, I completed it."
  • There remains plenty of debate as to how many shots were fired when Kennedy was assassinated. Saxon went with three, which took a bit of studio dexterity. "It was all done on analog, so we were flying different machines in at certain times with marker pen on the tape, so it was all a bit industrious," he said.
  • "Dallas 1PM" samples both JFK himself and an authentic contemporaneous report of the assassination.
  • This might be described as a modern murder ballad, and perhaps surprisingly, is not of questionable taste. It is said that everyone of a certain age who was alive on November 22, 1963 remembers where he or she was on that fateful day.

    This is not the first song to be written about the Kennedy Assassination, but unlike many, it doesn't pander to "conspiracy theory" like Oliver Stone's JFK or Johnny Rebel's "Keep A Workin' Big Jim," and it took a British band to come up with it.

    A group composition, "Dallas 1PM" is the eighth and final track on the 1980 Strong Arm Of The Law album, and runs to 6 minutes 29 seconds. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"They're Playing My Song

With the band in danger of being dropped from their label, Alice Cooper drummer Neal Smith co-wrote the song that started their trek from horror show curiosity to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.