Bill Carter: “Anything Made Of Paper”
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It’s undeniable how powerful music can truly be. In 1994, three teenage boys were convicted of the murder of three adolescents after the prosecution linked the teenagers’ behavior with their love of heavy metal. Dubbed the West Memphis Three, the teenagers spent the next eighteen years in prison before finally getting their conviction overturned last year. Over the course of that time, a number of metal bands penned songs in support of the West Memphis Three, and Metallica even offered their music to be used in a series of documentaries produced by HBO.
On December 28 comes West Of Memphis, a theatrical release that examines the case from new angles, and the soundtrack offers up more music in support of the wrongly convicted trio. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis wrote the film’s score, but perhaps the most moving song is Bill Carter‘s “Anything Made Of Paper.” Austin music fans might recognize the name–over the past three decades, Carter has composed songs for Stevie Ray Vaughan and Waylon Jennings, and musicians like Charlie Sexton, Chris Layton, Billy Gibbons, and even Johnny Depp have joined him onstage with his band the Blame.
Yet “Anything Made Of Paper” came about in a more personal manner. Carter met Damien Echols–one of the West Memphis Three–while he was imprisoned, and Echols expressed his thanks by sending Carter a rose made out of paper. What could Carter give him in return? “Anything made of paper,” came the reply, so Carter set out to write him this song. It’s a small token, but it speaks volumes.
The soundtrack to West Of Memphis sees a release on December 11, and “Anything Made Of Paper” will also appear on Carter’s new album Untitled, out January 15.
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