Crowded streets and the memories of all the faces you see
You don’t know who I am when you’re looking at me
Hang me tonight in the false and jaded light
In the center of the square, murder’s breeding in the air
We’re all innocent. The shadow’s playing with our eyes
Sharpened tongues and the loaded guns of all the fortunate sons
You’re the jack, back in black, ripping air from our lungs.
I’d cut my heart out of my chest and attach it to my sleeve
If I thought you’d think differently of me.
Written by Kids in the Way © 2005 Flicker USA Publishing
Behind the Song:"I have a pretty strange curiosity and interest in the cases and life of Jack the Ripper. This song was inspired by an interesting fact I uncovered while researching him. I already wanted to write a song about injustice/false accusation/”don’t judge a book by its cover” and upon finding this information, I found myself with a great example. Jack’s most famous murders all took place in the months of October and November of 1888. The police were baffled and really just wanted to arrest someone and put a silence to it all. With a slightly skewed system of judgment, they sought after bums, factory workers, hard laborers, and the Jews. One of their prime suspects was a gentleman by the name of John Montague. He was a train yardman and had a family history of mental instability. Before they could arrest him in late November, he disappeared and the murders ceased. Sure that he was the ripper, the police were satisfied and quit the hunt. On December 31, John’s body was dragged from the Thames river and later a document saying he was tired of being blamed and accused of something he wasn’t simply because his mother and sister were insane, was found in his home. In early 1889 several more “ripper” attacks popped up and the rampage continued, never to be truly solved." - Dave Pelsue (
Kids In The Way)