John Doe

Here comes the man

John zeroed in the hole
Stumbled to the street below
Prayed silently, "God, keep me alive"
Walked to the nearest corner
Between Union and Figueroa
"Just enough, Lord, to help me survive"

A little bit will get me going
A little more now and I'm gone
And I love and hate this feeling
And I can't help if my baby's dress is worn
But you know she's been working hard
And you best believe, you best bеlieve
You know I'm keeping score

Gеt up and get out
Stay down, don't let up
Don't look behind you
And lower your eyes
Duck your head
Here comes the man

John was just a boy
When he played with little toys
So wonderful to be alive
He learned everything when he was young
And pretty soon now nursery school was done
And those little toys were history
He'd arrived

Though his daddy used to beat him
It was surely for his own good
And besides, it weren't no different
Nowhere else in this neighborhood
Mama's face was like tissue paper
The way it broke up the tears, it soaked up
Crying for her baby boy
Now John had found him bigger toys

Get up and get out
Stay down, don't let up
Don't look behind you
And lower your eyes
Duck your head
Here comes the man
Floating and falling
Slipping yet sinking
Hopelessly tumbling
Upside down, inside out
It never ends

And like any good story
In the armchair century
Written in the victim's blood
And here for all of us to see
A child is born into this world
And soon thrown out on its own
Some will know which way to turn
But most will never make it home

Get in, don't get out
Stay down and give up
Don't look behind you
And lower your gaze
Duck your head
Here comes the man
Floating and falling
Slipping yet sinking
Hopelessly tumbling
Upside down, inside out
This is the end