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 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
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
CRAPE JASMINE
BLOOMED
ON ST. CHARLES AVENUE
THOUGH I COULDN'T
HEAR THE BELLS
OF THE STREETCARS
COMIN'
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 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
AND THEY GAVE ME
A HARP
LAST CHRISTMAS
AND ALL THE NURSES
TOOK A DANCE
WELL LATELY I'VE BEEN
GROWIN' LISTLESS
I'VE BEEN
DREAMIN' 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