The Story Behind the Song Pt.1: Lion's Share: Barker Ranch

Lost and gone or buried as the family died
After decades of grief without executions
The moment is here
One more song of hatred, it is all I can give
While I dig in the dirt with high expectations
To bring back the peace

And I'm going back to Barker Ranch
'Cause it has to be the end
Going back to Barker Ranch
I will take you home

Forty years of sadness
And the wounds never healed
In the nights I can't sleep
It'll haunt me forever
Nightmares on repeat

And I'm going back to Barker Ranch
'Cause it has to be the end
Going back to Barker Ranch
I am justice
So I'm going back to Barker Ranch
I will take you home

I'm going back to Barker Ranch
'Cause it has to be the end
Going back to Barker Ranch
I am justice
So I'm going back to Barker Ranch
'Cause it has to be the end
Going back to Barker Ranch
I will take you back home
Take you back home

These are the lyrics to "Barker Ranch" by Lion's Share which was mentioned earlier in my Best of 2009 So Far post as possibly my favorite song of the year. So far it doesn't have a lot of competition. I knew from the first time I really heard it that it had to be telling a story, I just didn't know what, so I looked it up. Ah, wikipedia.

Barker Ranch was the last hideout of Charles Manson and the Manson Family after the Los Angeles murder spree in 1969 is located in Death Valley National Park. At the time the Manson Family was captured, they were arrested on charges of vandalism. Soon though it became apparent that the prisoners were much worse than ordinary vandals.

In 2008, 40 years later, investigators returned to Barker Ranch to perform testing to determine if there were any other murder victims hidden there. This investigation was spurred by frequent rumors of additional victims. The investigators found several sites consistent with clandestine grave sites but no evidence or human remains were found.

http://www.ripleysghosttowns.com/barkerranch.htm