John Doe No. 24
Mary Chapin Carpenter

(Mary Chapin Carpenter)


I was standing on the sidewalk in 1945

In Jacksonville, Illinois

When asked what my name was there came no reply

They said I was a deaf and sightless half-wit boy

But Louis was my name, though I could not say it

I was born and raised in New Orleans

My spirit was wild, so I let the river take it

On a barge and a prayer upstream


Well they searched for a mother and they searched for a father

And they searched till they searched no more

The doctors put to rest their scientific tests

And they named me John Doe No. 24

And they all shook their heads in pity

For a world so silent and dark

Well there's no doubt that life's a mystery

But so too is the human heart


And it was my heart's own perfume when the crepe jasmine bloomed

On Rue Morgue Avenue

Though I couldn't hear the bells of the streetcars coming

By toeing the track I knew

And if I were an old man returning

With my satchel and porkpie hat

I'd hit every jazz joint on Bourbon

And I'd hit everyone on Basin after that


The years kept passing as they passed me around

From one state ward to another

Like I was an orphan shoe from the lost and found

Always missing the other

And they gave me a harp last Christmas

And all the nurses took a dance

But lately I've been growing listless

I've been dreaming again of the past


I'm wandering down to the banks of the great Big Muddy

Where the shotgun houses stand

I am seven years old and I feel my dad

Reach out for my hand

While I drew breath no one missed me

So they won't on the day that I cease

Put a sprig of crepe jasmine with me

To remind me of New Orleans


I was standing on the sidewalk in 1945

In Jacksonville, Illinois


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Lyrics by Mary Chapin Carpenter

  10,000 Miles   A Keeper For Every Flame   A Lot Like Me   A Place In The World   A Road Is Just A Road   Almost Home   Almost Home [#]   Alone But Not Lonely   Beautiful Racket   Bells Are Ringing   Between Here And Gone   Bright Morning Star   Can't Take Love For Granted   Can\'t Take Love For Granted   Candlelight Carol   Children Go Where I Send Thee   Christmas Time In The City   Closer And Closer Apart   Come On Come On   Come On Home   Come on, Come On   Down At The Twist And Shout   Down In Mary's Land   Down In Mary\'s Land   Downtown Train   Dreamland   Elysium   Family Hands   Girls Like Me   Goin Home   Going Out Tonight   Goodbye Again   Goodnight America   Grand Central Station   Grow Old With Me   Halley Came To Jackson   He Thinks He'll Keep Her   Here I Am   Hero In Your Own Hometown   Heroes & Heroines   Hometown Girl   House Of Cards   Houston   How Do   I Am A Town   I Can See It Now   I Feel Lucky   I Feel Lucky [It Could Happen to You]   I Put My Ring Back On   I Take My Chances   I Want To Be Your Girlfriend   I'll Never Fall In Love   I'll Never Fall In Love Again   In The Name Of Love   It Don't Bring You   It Must Have Happened   Jenny Dreamed of Trains   Jubilee   Just Because   Keeping The Faith   King Of Love   Late For Your Life   Leaving Song   Let Me Into Your Heart   Luna's Gone   Maybe World   Middle Ground   Mrs. Hemingway   My Dear Old Friend   My Heaven   Never Had It So Good   Not Too Much To Ask   Oh, Lonesome Me   On And On It Goes   On With The Song   Once In Royal David's City   One Small Heart   Only A Dream   Other Streets and Other Towns   Outside Looking In   Party Doll   Passionate Kisses   Passionate Kisses [Album Version]   Pete   Quittin' Time   Read My Lips   Rhythm Of The Blues   Right Now   River   Shut Up And Kiss Me   Simple Life   Slave To The Beauty   Slow Country Dance   Someone Else's Prayer   Something Of A Dreamer   Stones In The Road   Stones in the Road [Live]   Sudden Gift Of Fate   Swept Away   Tender When I Want To Be   Thanksgiving Song   That's Real   The Better To Dream Of You   The Bug   The Bug [*]   The Calling   The Dreaming Road   The End Of My Pirate Days   The Hard Way   The Last Word   The Long Way Home   The Moon And St. Christopher   The More Things Change   The Shelter Of Storms   This Is Love   This Is Me Leaving You   This Shirt   This Shirt [Live]   Too Tired   Twilight   Walking Through Fire   Waltz   We're All Right   What If We Went To Italy   What Was It Like   What Would You Say To Me   What You Didn't Say   When She's Gone   Whenever You're Ready   Where Time Stands Still   Wherever You Are   Why Shouldn't We   Why Walk When You Can Fly   You Win Again   Your Life Story

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