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John Doe No. 24 - Mary Chapin Carpenter



     
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John Doe No. 24 Lyrics


I was standing on this 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 boyBut Lewis 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 upstreamThey 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 test
And they named me John Doe No. 24And 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 heartAnd it was my heart's own perfume
When the crape jasmine bloomed on St. Charles Avenue
Though I couldn't hear the bells of the streetcars coming
By toeing the track I knewAnd if I were an old man returning
With my satchel and pork-pie hat
I'd hit every jazz joint on Bourbon

And I'd hit every one on Basin after thatThe years kept passing as they passed me around
From one state ward to another
Like I was an orphaned shoe from the lost and found
Always missing the otherThey gave me a harp last Christmas
And all the nurses took a dance
Lately I've been growing listless
Been dreaming again of the pastI'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 daddy
Reach out for my handWhile I drew breath no one missed me
So they won't on the day that I cease
Put a sprig of crape jasmine with me
To remind me of New OrleansI was standing on this sidewalk
In 1945 in Jacksonville, Illinois
Songwriters
Mary Chapin CarpenterPublished by
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Mary Chapin Carpenter (born February 21, 1958 in Princeton, New Jersey) is a highly successful country music singer-songwriter and guitarist. According to Songfacts, Carpenter had a fairly privileged upper middle class upbringing. Her father was at least partly responsible for her embarking on a musical career. The song "House of Cards" was inspired by the divorce of her parents when she was sixteen.

One of her most widely known singles is "Passionate Kisses" (written by fellow singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams), a song with a rock flavor musically and lyrics listing simple desires such as "a comfortable bed", "food to fill me up", and "time to think". Another big hit was "Down At The Twist And Shout", which she performed in January 1997 at Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans.

A number of Mary Chapin Carpenter's songs speak to women, urging them on through hard times or troubled relationships. In "He Thinks He'll Keep Her", co-composed by Carpenter and Don Schlitz, the singer makes the case for strength and self-respect. Another common theme in her music is that of taking life at your own pace, rather than rampant goal-driven materialism, such as "The Long Way Home" from her 2001 album Time*Sex*Love, which pokes fun at a man who "retire(s) at thirty to his big-ass house next to the putting green." The album has a relatively different feel musically, incorporating elaborate orchestra melodies, but with her characteristic lyrical depth.

Her album Between Here And Gone, was released in 2004.

Carpenter's most recent album, The Calling, released on March 6, 2007 by Rounder records' rock/pop imprint Zoë, features commentary about contemporary politics, a reaction to the impact of Hurricane Katrina on a track entitled "Houston," and an incendiary track entitled "On With The Song", dedicated to the Dixie Chicks, and addressing the visceral reaction to the trio.

In less than three months after its release, The Calling sold more than 100,000 copies in the US.

Carpenter has won five Grammy Awards: Best Female Country Vocal Performance for 1991 through 1994, and also Best Country Album for 1994.


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Mary Chapin Carpenter