Set in the American South during the days of enforced segregation, this story by Jean Toomer involves a love triangle between Louisa, an attractive young African-American woman and two men. Bob (the entitled son a white planter whose slaves were freed and landholdings reduced after the Civil War) picks a fight with his adversary Tom (a poor, quick-tempered black labourer). When Bob pulls a knife, Tom does likewise and kills him. In keeping with the times, Tom is gruesomely executed by a white vigilante mob. Themes: love vs. lust, racism/white supremacy, identity, violence, vigilante justice.
The song verse stems from a belief by southern African-Americans that a red (aka blood) moon is an omen of an evil influence over their lives. The story makes references to both a “factory” and “factory town”. The events take place following the transition from cotton to sugarcane as the main agricultural crop in the region. The factory in which Tom is executed is a derelict cotton gin. The term factory town refers to the part of town around the factory in which segregated African-American workers lived.
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