Here is a poem / song I wrote inspired by Richard Levine's
book called "Bad Blood" about the China Camp BBQ murders of 1975.
Written by Jeffrey Moss Charles - 2015.
I had my doubts,
when the sun came out,
should I put on my shorts,
or a skirt?
I looked under my bed,
All I saw was red,
Am I still alive,
Or dead?
My name is Marlene,
I had a dream,
I'm only sixteen,
Full of lead.
Should I put on his coat?
Should I put on his tie?
Should I continue,
To tell my lie?
All I could do when,
The sun went down,
Was look at you,
In the eyes.
I saw the hole in your head,
And I knew you were dead,
And all I could say was good-bye.
Oh yeah all I could say,
Was Good-bye.
I put them in the Nova,
I didn't know what to do,
So I drove them out to China Camp,
For a final Barbeque.
I took one look,
At my buddy Chuck,
And told him what to do.
If he loved me and meant,
What he said,
He'd help me get them dead,
Yeah, he'd help me,
Get them dead,
It wasn't much longer,
Maybe a weeks in time,
When the Officer's came out.
They said, "hold it right there"
With their pistols in the air,
And I knew right then,
We're all dead.
Yeah, I knew right then,
We're all dead.
Oh, my name is Marlene,
I had a dream,
Did I tell you,
I'm only sixteen?
I had my doubts,
when the sun came out,
should I put on my shorts,
or a skirt?
I looked under my bed,
All I saw was red,
Am I still alive,
Or dead?
My name is Marlene,
I had a dream,
I'm only sixteen,
Full of lead.
Should I put on his coat?
Should I put on his tie?
Should I continue,
To tell my lie?
All I could do when,
The sun went down,
Was look at you,
In the eyes.
I saw the hole in your head,
And I knew you were dead,
And all I could say was good-bye.
Oh yeah all I could say,
Was Good-bye.
I put them in the Nova,
I didn't know what to do,
So I drove them out to China Camp,
For a final Barbeque.
I took one look,
At my buddy Chuck,
And told him what to do.
If he loved me and meant,
What he said,
He'd help me get them dead,
Yeah, he'd help me,
Get them dead,
It wasn't much longer,
Maybe a weeks in time,
When the Officer's came out.
They said, "hold it right there"
With their pistols in the air,
And I knew right then,
We're all dead.
Yeah, I knew right then,
We're all dead.
Oh, my name is Marlene,
I had a dream,
Did I tell you,
I'm only sixteen?