Other songs on White Crosses were inspired less by St. Augustine, though, and more by events that took place during the band's break, including “Because of the Shame”. “I wrote that song for a friend of mine who was murdered while the record was being written,” Gabel explains. “She was someone I used to hang out with a lot. We both worked at the same bar and would usually close up the bar at night and hang out afterwards—have some drinks or whatever, blow off steam.”
For a few reasons—because he was touring, because she moved elsewhere—Gabel fell out of touch with his friend, which made the news of her murder even more difficult. “It was a fucking horrible situation,” Gabel goes on. “I used to have a tattoo on the back of my leg for this girl, but I had it covered up maybe about a year before. Her mom came up to me at the funeral and was like, 'Hey, I want to know if you still have that tattoo on the back of your leg.' I felt horrible, just fucking horrible, having to say I covered it up. And then, afterwards, she asked me, standing there fucking five feet away from her body, 'Hey, did you write that song about her?'”
Before she died, Gabel's friend assumed that the song “Thrash Unreal” from New Wave had been written about her. The song's lyrics paint an unappealing picture of a woman partying maybe more than she should. During the chorus, Gabel growls, “No mother ever dreams that her daughter's going to grow up to be a junkie / No mother ever dreams that her daughter's going to grow up to sleep alone.”
“I didn't write the song about her,” Gabel explains. “The song's a fictional song, a composite about a lot of people, but I thought I had to say yes, that it was the answer she wanted. I wanted to say whatever would be the least painful for her. She made me promise on the spot to write a song to make up for it.”
“Because of the Shame” became that song. After a short, impassioned piano interlude, a wall of “woahs” rise from a furious hurricane of acoustic chords; the dusty twang of electric guitars; the rhythmic thump of Andrew Seward's bass; bright, metallic bells and tambourine; a subtle, groaning organ; all propelled by that same stirring piano and a straight, driving drumbeat. This particular hurricane, though, has received both critical praise and complaints for sounding derivative. “It's a song that's definitely got a heavy Bruce Springsteen influence,” Gabel admits. “Springsteen was my friend's favorite band; her dad was wearing a Springsteen shirt as he talked at her funeral. I wanted to capture a Springsteen vibe, I guess, in tribute to him and to her.
“When I realized just how heavily Bruce influenced this song,” he continues, “I asked him. We had exchanged emails before, so I was like, “Hey man, I wrote this song and it's really closely influenced by “No Surrender”. I just want to make sure you're cool with that.' I told him the story behind it, and he gave me his blessing on it.”
Aaron Ninja Warrior
Number of posts : 3490 Reputation : 176 Cool Points : 9215 Registration date : 2009-11-12
Subject: Re: Because of the Shame Tue Jun 07, 2011 3:00 pm
Number of posts : 1232 Age : 32 Location : michigan Reputation : 45 Cool Points : 6922 Registration date : 2008-02-06
Subject: Re: Because of the Shame Tue Jun 07, 2011 6:56 pm
Best find ever
raptorsaurus Ninja Warrior
Number of posts : 3197 Age : 31 Location : Calgary Reputation : 144 Cool Points : 8692 Registration date : 2009-12-31
Subject: Re: Because of the Shame Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:19 pm
amazing
occultenemynumberone Dear Shithead
Number of posts : 3 Age : 30 Location : Miami Reputation : 0 Cool Points : 4712 Registration date : 2011-06-23
Subject: Re: Because of the Shame Fri Jun 24, 2011 2:38 pm
The fact that this song has an actual personal meaning to Tom makes up a lot for the commercialism of the album as a whole.. You can tell in his voice when he sings that he was really feeling pain over the loss of this girl.. it's incredible.
Aaron Ninja Warrior
Number of posts : 3490 Reputation : 176 Cool Points : 9215 Registration date : 2009-11-12
Subject: Re: Because of the Shame Sun Aug 07, 2011 6:04 pm
I would love to hear the Goldentone version
DavyGrolton Baby, I'm an Anarchist!
Number of posts : 1424 Age : 31 Location : PCB, Florida Reputation : 26 Cool Points : 7167 Registration date : 2008-08-08
Subject: Re: Because of the Shame Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:53 pm
I just learned the whole story about this song... oh my god it is a FUCKING HORRIBLE situation. I don't feel comfortable sharing it on a message board.
My appreciation for this song increased 100x.
RIP.
oldgospelchoir Drinkin' Irish tonight!
Number of posts : 634 Age : 33 Reputation : 14 Cool Points : 5570 Registration date : 2010-12-10
Subject: Re: Because of the Shame Tue Sep 13, 2011 5:48 pm
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Subject: Re: Because of the Shame 
Tue May 25, 2010 10:53 pm
