Abraham Martin and John
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles Lyrics

Anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
The singer is asking if anyone has seen Abraham, who is a person he used to know.

Can you tell me where he's gone?
The singer is requesting to know Abraham's whereabouts.

Oh, he freed a lot of people but the good they die young
Abraham helped many people, but unfortunately good people often die young.

I just looked around and he's gone, gone
The singer cannot find Abraham, and he has disappeared.

Anybody here seen my old friend John?
The singer is asking if anyone has seen John, who is a person he used to know.

Can you tell me where he's gone?
The singer is requesting to know John's whereabouts.

Oh, he freed lotta people but the good they die young
John helped many people, but unfortunately good people often die young.

I just looked around and he's gone, gone, gone (gone), gone
The singer cannot find John, and he has disappeared.

Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
The singer is asking if anyone has seen Martin, who is a person he used to know.

Can you tell me where he's gone?
The singer is requesting to know Martin's whereabouts.

He freed some people but the good they die young
Martin helped some people, but unfortunately good people often die young.

I just looked around and he's gone, gone, gone, gone
The singer cannot find Martin, and he has disappeared.

Didn't you love the things that they stood for?
The singer is asking if the listener appreciates the values that Abraham, Martin, and John stood for.

Didn't they try to find some good for you and me (for you and me)?
Abraham, Martin, and John attempted to make things better for everyone, including the listener.

And we'll be free
The singer is hopeful that everyone can eventually be free.

Some day soon, it's gonna be one day
The singer predicts that one day, everyone will be able to experience freedom.

Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
The singer is asking if anyone has seen Bobby, who is a person he used to know.

Can you tell me, can you tell me me where he's gone?
The singer is requesting to know Bobby's whereabouts.

I thought I saw him walkin' way over the hill
The singer believes he spotted Bobby walking in the distance.

With Abraham, Martin, and John (Abraham, Martin and John, oh)
The singer suggests that Bobby is walking with the now-deceased Abraham, Martin, and John.

(Abraham, Martin and John) I thought I saw him walking
The singer thinks he saw Bobby walking with the other three individuals.

(Abraham, Martin and John) thought I heard them talking
The singer also imagines that he heard Abraham, Martin, and John conversing with Bobby.

(Abraham, Martin and John) about freeing the people
The singer envisions that they were discussing ways to free people.

(Abraham, Martin, John) how to free the people
The singer thinks the conversation was about ways to help individuals achieve freedom.

(Abraham, Martin and John) which ones to tell
The singer pictures that they were deciding which people to inform about their plans.

(Abraham, Martin and John) and now they're all gone, gone, gone
All four of these individuals, including Bobby, have now passed away.

Hallelujah
The singer concludes with an expression of praise or joy in the face of the passing of these cherished individuals.