Doleful Lions

Charles Starkweather Vs. Sasquatch

in the kitchen under the mason jar
the miniature airplanes fly where you are
up the northside to the factory lambs
who’ve taken the back of your hands
but something is always wrong
but your faith has kept you oh so strong
so you decide to pull your trigger
but something has stopped you

master builder have you seen the flames consume you
cause your mind’s designed some crazy patterns
and the swatches are lost your van
to the killer with the queen of sasquatch
are heaven in the trees of lincoln
and are waiting for the darkness to consume them just the same

in the kitchen under the mason jar
the miniature airplanes fly where you are

From the 2000 LP Song Cyclops Volume One on Parasol Records
Reissued in 2014 on 1980 Records in a cassette edition on 100

There was a girl in Chapel Hill who said “Has anyone told you, you look like Charles Starkweather”? A few days later I read a copy of Weekly World News and there was a story about Charles Starkweather claiming that a female Sasquatch, who had followed him his whole life, and communicated to him telepathically compelled him to kill. He said that she would walk up to a window in the prison he was in and pledge her love for him.

I wrote this song, and it became the centerpiece of Song Cyclops Volume One.

This is the most streamed Doleful Lions song.

Slip Inside This Gateway

If apparations creep outside your door
And the Crawling Chaos pours across your floor
If the darkness of the void invites you in
And the evening phantoms pe*****te your skin
Just let it all come down
Hear the bells of doomsday pound
And shaded lodge and mausoleum
Echo every haunted sound

And even if you find yourself afraid
Of the morbid recollections of your grave
Cause eventually we must accept our fate
The hexagon and necroworm won’t wait
So let the world begin
With the end and everything
You understand and always known
Will disappear and then
You’ll wear a mirrored gown
That reflects this sacred ground
And open up the scroll and read the incantation found

O death
Would your shadowed fountain wash over my soul
O death
I surrender to the bo***ge of control
Take me home
Let me sleep in your cold embrace
Let me sleep in your cold embrace

If only these magicians let me know
That behind the smoke and velvet it’s just a show
And holy men who claim to know the truth
Are just the loudest magpies on the roof
O death your Judas curtain’s tearing down
At last the jewelry’s taken from your crown
And we will throw your carcass on the pile
And slip inside this gateway all the while

The illumination songs will be trumpeted by swans
And all the kings who horde the secret will be cast as pawns
So let this cloak of dark
Take the wonder from my heart
And every hope and dream I had
Extinguished of the spark

O death
Would your shadowed fountain wash over my heart
O death
Let the demon archer’s arrow find it’s mark
Give me rest
The light of all my love has turned to black
O death
The reaper’s scythe will sow this mortal gift
O death

From the 2005 album Shaded Lodge And Mausoleum on Parasol Records

The last photo is my lyrics journal I kept from 2004 to 2015.

What happened to me 25 years ago today, on September 10, 2001 has been in my subconscious ever since.

Late Shift

I’m on the late shift
It’s a skate drift
I never wanted to be left behind
I’m on the late shift
It’s a light switch
These feels are looking for a place to hide
I’m on the late shift
It’s a fate lift
I never wanted to be left behind
I’m on the late shift
It’s the right switch
These evening feelings are a late night ride

Are
And we are
Just like everyone knows that this feeling is holding you up
And we see
In the absolute knowing
The heart starts it’s showing
For everyone in here Is overcome by fear
Never again will I be Ghouls And Ghosts
Everyone in here
Is always so sincere
Never again will I be Ghouls And Ghosts

I’m on the late shift
It’s a skate drift
I never wanted to be left behind
I’m on the late shift
It’s a light switch
These feels are looking for a place to hide
I’m on the late shift
It’s a fate lift
I never wanted to be left behind
I’m on the late shift
It’s the right switch
These evening feelings are a late night ride

Are
And we are
Just like everyone knows that this feeling is holding you up
And we see
In the absolute knowing
The heart starts it’s showing
For everyone in here Is always so sincere
Never again will I be Altered Beasts
Everyone in here
Is always so sincere
Never again will I be Altered Beasts

From the 2019 double LP Hidden Thunderdomes on all streaming.

This is one I want to release on vinyl and cd in the future.

Looking for a label now or maybe I can do it myself.

I have been holding onto something that happened to me almost 25 years ago. I have told maybe 3 people in my entire life and the upcoming anniversary of September 11, 2001 has motivated me to tell what I experienced the night before the attacks. I understand this isn’t the best venue for this and I thought about making a video but I am a songwriter and I feel most comfortable writing rather than making a video.

On September 10, 2001 I was living in Chapel Hill, NC and worked at a 4 diamond hotel as a bellman/limo driver. The hotel was located about 5 miles from Duke University and 2 miles from UNC. Whenever anyone rich or famous was staying in the area chances are they stayed at the hotel. I waited on all kinds of VIPs. I parked Michael Jordan’s Chevy Blazer, I served Gregory Peck tea, Robin Williams told me a joke and when writer Tom Wolfe stayed at the hotel several times I got to know him and he would ask me how my band Doleful Lions were doing. I had a 30 minute conversation with him about Phil Spector, once. It was truly a special time.

Read the rest at the link in the bio.

On 9/11 I rewrote a version of Big Star’s Jesus Christ and we recorded it on 9/12.

An outtake from Out Like A Lamb.

I have been holding onto something that happened to me almost 25 years ago. I have told maybe 3 people in my entire life and the upcoming anniversary of September 11, 2001 has motivated me to tell what I experienced the night before the attacks. I understand this isn’t the best venue for this and I thought about making a video but I am a songwriter and I feel most comfortable writing rather than making a video.

On September 10, 2001 I was living in Chapel Hill, NC and worked at a 4 diamond hotel as a bellman/limo driver. The hotel was located about 5 miles from Duke University and 2 miles from UNC. Whenever anyone rich or famous was staying in the area chances are they stayed at the hotel. I waited on all kinds of VIPs. I parked Michael Jordan’s Chevy Blazer, I served Gregory Peck tea, Robin Williams told me a joke and when writer Tom Wolfe stayed at the hotel several times I got to know him and he would ask me how my band Doleful Lions were doing. I had a 30 minute conversation with him about Phil Spector, once. It was truly a special time.

In early September of 2001, the hotel manager let the staff know that the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani would be checking in along with his extensive entourage and the entire 2nd floor would be rented out for him. We were given all these instructions on how to treat this guest etc. His assistant, who they called his “head waiter” would be the person we could engage with. I remember he had huge scar on his eye, it was truly Hollywood tier. The Emir would eat dinner in the restaurant every evening and they would be seated on the patio or at the back table. We were not to speak to him or approach the table without permission. The Emir would order every dish on the menu and our waitstaff would hand the plate to his “head waiter”, plate after plate, the Emir would take one or two bites then the plate was taken way and the next main course would be served, he would take one or two bites, and so on. For us the whole scene was bizarre but nothing prepared me for what would happen on the evening of September 10th.

The Emir was in town receiving experimental treatment at Duke University, I never learned what was wrong with him, but his physical presence was imposing, the dude was huge, maybe 6”4 and probably close to 300 pounds and he had black circles under his eyes that almost looked like eye makeup. He wore the typical sheik garb and had a Mario mustache, he along with his “head waiter” with the eye scar made all of us super nervous. I waited on Oprah, Carlos Santana, George Clinton, politicians and even Iggy Pop and was never shook but these people had us all very shook. They were scheduled to stay at the hotel for 3 weeks but that all changed on September 10.

I worked the 3pm to 11pm shift, nothing out of the ordinary. The Emir again had dinner in the restaurant that night and I was looking forward to getting home. My band was in the middle of recording our 4th album Out Like A Lamb (Parasol Records) and we were scheduled to record on 9/11. I was also excited to get the new Slayer LP the next day. Then at around 9:45 pm my manager walked over to me and said “you have to take these guys to the airport right away”. I was so pi**ed! Driving to Raleigh/Durham Airport was 30 minutes from the hotel which meant I might have to work overtime! Usually the guests would schedule the limo with the front desk so I usually knew beforehand, but this was unscheduled. The “head waiter” and two other men from the entourage got out of the elevator carrying their own bags, which was already weird because these guys never lifted any bag the entire time they were staying there, it was usually myself or my coworker. They were running through the lobby and the look on their faces I can only describe as panic.

The “head waiter” runs up to me and said “where is the car”, I told him I would get it and pull up. I tried to grab his bag and he said “no, get the car!” I pull up and these guys are near frantic, the “head waiter” telling me to hurry. We start driving and immediately he said “we can’t miss our flight”. I already thought these guys were dicks, but they did tip very well, so I guess I just tried to let it go. I finally make it to the freeway and the “head waiter” is telling me to drive faster, now he is yelling at me. I ended up doing over 95 mph the entire way there. We ended up at the gate at 10:15 pm or so. I pull in and these guys jump out to get their bags and run a full sprint into the terminal, without tipping me! I was definitely going to use the cash to get the new Slayer LP, but I got nothing. Driving back, I thought nothing of it, I had waited on rich and famous as****es before, Bronson Pinchot comes to mind. But not quite like this. I ended up getting off late and going home. To be honest, I slept very late the next day, until 1pm or so when I was awakened by my then girlfriend who told me “Jon, you need to turn on the tv”. I watched in absolute horror like everyone else in the world. The planes hitting the towers and Pentagon on a loop, over and over again seared in our collective memories like a cattle brand for eternity. I didn’t know what to do, I was in this big house all alone, so I just went to the hotel even though it was my day off. I jut wanted to be around my friends and coworkers. I walked in the front door of the hotel and my manager came up to me and said “do you want to call the FBI, or should I”? At first I didn’t know what he meant but then it hit me, oh my God, they knew! I couldn’t move. They knew! Just thinking about it now gives me goosebumps. We didn’t call the FBI, I was afraid and I still don’t know why, maybe intuition.

As my manager and I are standing outside the front door, the outside laundry company who did the hotels laundry van pulls up. It was owned by an Afghan family and the two brothers got out of the van, one of the brothers hugged me with tears in his eyes, he said to me “I am so sorry” we embraced, he said “ we are from Afghanistan, we love America” Jesus, it was one of the most emotional and beautiful things I have ever experienced. These guys loved America and loved us. I loved them too. I told him please don’t blame yourselves we know you love America.

I live with regret over my inaction on that day, I wish I had let someone know. I have watched over the years the US/Qatar relationship, Qatari Universities everywhere, the World Cup etc. But Qatar knew what was about to happen, maybe a lot of people did. We went to war with two countries who didn’t attack us and we let Qatar totally off the hook. We should know 25 years later who truly was responsible for the horrors of September 11th. We have never been the same and I think the perpetrators got away with it. I don’t know why I held onto this for so long. My heart goes out to all the victims and the families of those murdered on September 11, and my heart goes out to the millions killed in the senseless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am so sorry. I will never be the same.

God bless you.

-Jonathan Michael Scott

I spend my year wondering what my favorite R.E.M. song of all time is, and then suddenly it’s September 9, again.

My high school copy of Murmur, pictured (not actual copy)

Best,

Jonathan

RIP Matt Suhey. I got to know Matt when I worked as a stock runner at the Chicago Board of Trade in the mid 90s where he worked as a trader. He was seriously the nicest guy and so humble. He scored the first TD for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. He was only 68. So sad.

My FB algorithm primarily shows me AI bands with invented fans and invented histories. This is truly a dark time if you are a musician with actual history, for fans as well. I have navigated weird times before, I just hope this works itself out.

I posted a flyer from a show I actually went to almost 40 years ago from bands and a venue with actual history.

-Jonathan

Doleful Lions 1999.

From left to right

David W. Jackson
Jonathan Scott
Amy Palazzolo

This photo was from the insert of The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! CD on Parasol Records.

This was the last time I played a live acoustic set. I think I am ready to play live again.

Jonathan Scott (Doleful Lions) Live At Silvie's Tavern 3/2/17 1.Universal Moment2. Graveyards Of Swallows3. Autumn Loves Anothe...