This is a love song if I ever heard one. Okay, maybe “love” is too strong of a word. The beau, whom Nash-T Records carelessly refers to as The Klansman; they use that name for different singers; nonetheless develops feelings for the Nigger girl he first dated on a dare. “If I had known just how it would end,” he admits, “I’d have turned around and run away right then”.

It’s no surprise, given the title, that it ends with her death. How she dies is what’s sad. It suggests a real attraction on her part. His; he actually rides with her in the back of the bus; is conflicted with his deep-rooted racism. The best thing about the song is the melody of the verses, inspired by a relationship that, had it lasted, might’ve mended not only his heart but his mind.

my rating : 4 of 5

1967 or 1968