An RV that exploded on Christmas morning in downtown Nashville played a chilling pop song before the incident happened.
- The RV detonated in front of an AT&T transmission building. The explosion damaged 40 businesses and caused widespread cellphone and internet connection disruptions throughout the area.
- No one died in the blast except for Anthony Quinn Warner, who authorities say created the Christmas Day explosion, dying during the blast. He lived in Nashville.
Before the explosion, a loudspeaker warned people in the area to evacuate, authorities told The Washington Post.
- “That’s stuff that I’ll never forget, the sound of the announcement saying … ‘Evacuate now,’” said Amanda Topping, an officer who spoke about the explosion, according to The Washington Post. “Just odd. And I’m pacing back and forth because I kept on having to turn pedestrians around.”
The song before the explosion:
The RV that exploded broadcasted Petula Clark’s hit song “Downtown” from 1964. The song suggests that visiting a city can cure sadness.
- The song appeared in an opening scene of the science fiction show “Lost.”
- The song was a No. 1 hit, climbing the charts during the 1964 Christmas season.
Authorities said they heard the music before the explosion, according to The Washington Post.
- “As I’m getting ready to walk toward (other officers), walking back toward the RV … I literally hear God tell me to turn around and check on Topping, who was by herself,” officer James Wells said. “As I turn around — for me it felt like I only took three steps, the music stops. As I’m walking back toward Topping, I just see orange and I hear a loud boom. I’m just telling myself, stay on your feet, stay alive.”
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According to CNN, it’s unclear why the song was chosen to play before the explosion.
- “Did the tune speak to him in some way? Was it just intended as a bitter joke? We may never know. But some people in Nashville, and elsewhere, may never hear the song the same way again.”