John Doe No. 24
Carpenter Mary Chapin Lyrics
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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 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
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 test
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 crape jasmine bloomed on St. Charles 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 pork-pie hat
I'd hit every jazz joint on Bourbon
And I'd hit every one on Basin after that
The 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 other
They gave me a harp last Christmas
And all the nurses took a dance
Lately I've been growing listless
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 daddy
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 crape jasmine with me
To remind me of New Orleans
I was standing on this sidewalk
In 1945 in Jacksonville, Illinois
The song "John Doe No. 24" by Mary Chapin Carpenter tells the story of a young boy who was brought to Jacksonville, Illinois in 1945. The boy was unable to speak or hear, and was believed to have mental disabilities. The authorities gave him the name "John Doe No. 24" and searched vigorously for his parents, but were unsuccessful. The boy, who reveals his name to be Lewis, claims to have been born and raised in New Orleans and had a wild spirit that let the river take him on a barge and a prayer upstream.
The song captures the loneliness and mystery of Lewis' life, as he lived from ward to ward and was passed around with no one to claim him as their own. In spite of his hardships, Lewis' heart remains strong, and he reminisces fondly of his hometown, New Orleans, specifically St. Charles Avenue where the crape jasmine blooms and he could still sense the world around him. The song ends with Lewis feeling like an orphaned shoe from the lost and found, dreaming of the past and wandering back to the Great Big Muddy where he was once young and loved. The story of John Doe No. 24 evokes feelings of pity, empathy, and nostalgia, as we are reminded that everyone has a story to tell.
* Mary Chapin Carpenter drew inspiration for the song from a true story she read in the newspaper. The story involved the discovery of a young boy wandering the streets of Illinois in the 1940s, who couldn't speak or hear, leading people to believe he was mentally disabled.
* Carpenter collaborated on this song with Don Schlitz, a songwriter who wrote many popular country songs including "The Gambler" for Kenny Rogers.
* The song was featured on Carpenter's 1992 album, "Come On Come On," which was her most commercially successful album to date.
* The album won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for the song "I Feel Lucky."
* Carpenter performed the song on an episode of the hit television show "Beverly Hills 90210" in 1993.
* The song received critical acclaim for its powerful lyrics and story-telling abilities.
* Carpenter has been a long-time supporter of various causes and charities, and has used her platform to advocate for social justice issues. She often performs benefit concerts and donates proceeds to organizations like Habitat for Humanity, The Hunger Project, and MusiCares.
* In addition to her successful music career, Carpenter is also an accomplished author, having published two books: a memoir called "All That I Have and All That I Am" and a children's book called "Dreamland."
* Carpenter has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the America's Pop Music Hall of Fame.
* Although the chords for this song are not easily available, the song itself is relatively simple, with a slow and steady melody that allows the lyrics to take center stage.
Line by Line Meaning
I was standing on this sidewalk
I was on this street, on this day
In 1945 in Jacksonville, Illinois
This occurred in this year, in this town
When asked what my name was there came no reply
When questioned about my name, I didn't answer
They said I was a deaf and sightless, half-wit boy
They called me a boy who couldn't hear or see properly, and was not very intelligent
But Lewis was my name though I could not say it
My name was actually Lewis, but I couldn't speak it
I was born and raised in New Orleans
I came from and grew up in New Orleans
My spirit was wild, so I let the river take it
I had a free and adventurous attitude, and I allowed the river to take me on a barge upstream
On a barge and a prayer upstream
I traveled on this barge, hoping that everything would go well
They searched for a mother and they searched for a father
People looked for my biological parents
And they searched till they searched no more
They looked for them for a long time, but stopped eventually
The doctors put to rest their scientific test
Even experts stopped trying to figure out who my parents were
And they named me John Doe No. 24
As a result, they gave me this name, which means 'unidentified man'
And they all shook their heads in pity
People felt bad for me
For a world so silent and dark
They were sad because the world seemed so lonely and sad for me
Well, there's no doubt that life's a mystery
It's true that life can be hard to understand
But so too is the human heart
Just as mysterious is the heart and emotions of humans
And it was my heart's own perfume
My emotions were like a fragrance, something personal and unique to me
When the crape jasmine bloomed on St. Charles Avenue
I felt this way when I saw this particular flower on this particular avenue
Though I couldn't hear the bells of the streetcars coming
Even though I couldn't hear well, I knew when streetcars were near
By toeing the track I knew
I used my feet to sense the vibrations of the tracks and know when the streetcars were coming
And if I were an old man returning
If I were old and coming back to New Orleans
With my satchel and pork-pie hat
Carrying my bag and wearing my hat
I'd hit every jazz joint on Bourbon
I would visit every place on this street that plays jazz music
And I'd hit every one on Basin after that
I would then go and visit every jazz place on this other street
The years kept passing as they passed me around
Even as time went by, I was moved from one place to another like an object
From one state ward to another
I was passed on from one government institution to another
Like I was an orphaned shoe from the lost and found
Like a shoe that was abandoned and left in the lost and found, I was tossed around
Always missing the other
I was always feeling like something was missing or incomplete
They gave me a harp last Christmas
Last Christmas, I was given this musical instrument called a harp
And all the nurses took a dance
All of the caregivers I had danced together with it
Lately I've been growing listless
Recently, I've been feeling tired and unresponsive
Been dreaming again of the past
I've found myself thinking and dreaming of my past again
I'm wandering down to the banks of the Great Big Muddy
I'm aimlessly walking towards the muddy banks of a river
Where the shotgun houses stand
In a place where there were poor houses called 'shotgun houses'
I am seven years old and I feel my daddy
I am remembering and feeling, as if I were seven, my father's physical proximity and presence
Reach out for my hand
I remember my father extending a hand towards me
While I drew breath no one missed me
When I was alive, nobody was looking for me or knew me well
So they won't on the day that I cease
Therefore, on the day I die, nobody will miss me either
Put a sprig of crape jasmine with me
Please add a branch of these beautiful flowers into my burial ceremony
To remind me of New Orleans
So I can be grateful and remember my home city in my final moments
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER DBA WHY WALK MUSIC
Written by: MARY CARPENTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind