No one can discuss the failed efforts of the Casey Anthony prosecution team without being reminded of the O.J. Simpson trial. If a glove can make or break a verdict, there’s no reason why lack of proof let a murdering parent skip away with a misdemeanor.
My friend Linny Simkin lived in Louisville for a few years with her husband Jeff Jobson and son Peter before relocating to her hometown of Seattle. They are among my best friends and they reside there with daughter Callie being the final addition to the family. While Linny was in Louisville she performed quite a few nightclub concerts as well as leading Open Mic Nights at the Rudyard Kipling.
One night she unveiled this song to her audience. It brought the breath of the room to a halt and a few tears flowed as well. Every soul in the room was raw from the Simpson coverage and the murders. The song was penned in 1994 and by Oct. 3, 1995, we would all be suspended in that moment of disbelief that such a violent act had been peeled apart, diluted and scattered to the point of being unrecognizable as a heinous, punishable crime
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The “system” had survived yet Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman lay on a fashionable Brentwood, California lawn, gutted by a raging blade powered by arrogance and testosterone.
While this is pretty much apples and oranges as murder trials go, there are enough similarities to turn our heads. Linny’s song was hard to handle, sitting there in an otherwise happy, acoustic folk environment, but it was necessary if not crucial for her to sing the unspeakable.
This was a media extravaganza at the time but I have to admonish those who believe this is a random occurence and only happens to high-profile individuals--it happens every damn day. Domestic violence is alive and well, until its victims are silenced, of course.
It’s got a beautiful melody, I wish you could hear it but technology was limited. Linny did catch a bit of flack for this composition but then again, the truth is not always the most popular mode.
This one goes out not only to Nicole Brown but to Caylee Anthony. God speed.
]NICOLE
(c)1994 Linny Simkin
Eighteen and beautiful
She meets a raging bull
Raw talent off the street
He sweeps her off her feet
It’s love on a roll
Good luck, Nicole
The first time she’s barely hurt
Pulled hair and torn up shirt
He sees terror in her eyes
It makes him apologize
But fear takes its toll
Don’t cry, Nicole
The happy couple hand in hand
Two kids and lots of friends
But by night the smiles are gone
Bare fists and 911
He’s out of control
Be strong, Nicole
One morning, she wakes up crumpled on the floor
She can’t remember what they started fighting for
She decides that she just can’t live with him anymore
He decides that she can’t live without him
Thirty-one and on the prowl
She makes the young men howl
But he sees her every move
He’s still got a love to prove
She makes him whole,
Look out, Nicole
That night he wears a mask
But she knows her killer’s grasp
With one slash across her throat
He sends her where he can’t go
God rest your soul
Sleep well, Nicole
