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Hank Gathers

from Nine Good Songs by Wasperjaws

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about

Sometime around 2015 I was watching a 30 for 30 episode called Guru of Go about a fast-paced college basketball team. The focus eventually shifted LMU's star player, Hank Gathers, who started having heart rhythm issues during the season. His story paralyzed me and when it showed him collapsing on the court I discovered a lot of pent up fear, sorrow, and distress I'd been holding in regarding my own heart condition. I started reading a lot about him and knew I wanted to write a song about him. For a few years I couldn't figure out how to write it until one day I thought to myself, "Tom T. Hall would just tell his story." So I did that here and hope it does him justice.

lyrics

Hank Gathers was born in a drug addled town
Where the colors you chose were for life
Raymond Rosen projects: chainlink, concrete, and weeds
Where he played basketball under street lights

He grew strong and tall, maybe the strongest of all
And he’d test it every time that he could
He was gentle but proud and he’d fight til he won
Each time he stepped on the hardwood

But a time bomb was ticking inside of his chest
Which he ignored until the doctors said no
The Inderal slowed him down like nothing else could
He felt sluggish, and sloppy, and slow

Hank couldn’t have that, at least not in March
So he skipped doses that he’d desperately need
And he rose up again back to his dominant self
Back came his stamina, his strength, and his speed

Then in a game on a Sunday with Lucille looking on
His rhythm went out of control
He collapsed at half court, said "I don’t want to lay down"
And the murmurs from the crowd went real low

Did they have to show it? His collapse on TV
Did they really need to show it once more?
Shuddering, gasping, and struggling to breathe
Turn it off, ma, I can’t stand it no more

Well your little orphaned boy he still needs his dad
Jeff and Bo, well, they also need you
You didn’t have to keep fighting and pushing yourself
We’d have loved you on the sidelines too

Some people look back and wish things weren’t the same
And wonder just what might’ve been
But you fell down and died on that shiny wood court
Now you’ll never have to wonder like them

So was it worth it, my friend, to go out like you did
With your mother, your coach, and your team
I wonder what you’d say now if you could do it again
Would you still risk it all for the dream?

Oh my dear, dear, Lucille, honey please don’t cry
Oh Lucille, it’ll all be okay
Oh my dear, dear, Lucille, stay strong my dear
You know Hank would've had it that way

credits

from Nine Good Songs, released October 27, 2022
Danny Smith - guitar, vocals
Tips Marley - trombone, organ

license

all rights reserved

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Wasperjaws South Carolina

Wasperjaws is regular people who make regular music for regular people.

Nine Good Songs is homemade. It didn't exist before and now it does, which is really the whole reason we made it.

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