THE STRANGE DEATH OF JOHN DOE

(MILLARD LAMPELL) (1941)


Millard Lampell

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Lyrics as reprinted in Ronald D. Cohen & Dave Samuelson, liner notes for "Songs for Political Action," Bear Family Records BCD 15720 JL, 1996, p. 84.

This is Millard Lampell's rewriting of "Beggar Joe," a sentimental ballad from the 1870s.
The tune is a variant of "The Young Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn."

Most likely direct source of Bob Dylan's "Man on the Street", Gaslight Café, New York, NY, Sep 6, 1961 and Columbia Studios, New York, NY, Nov 22, 1961.

ORIGINAL ISSUE: "SONGS FOR JOHN DOE," Almanac 1101-A (Almanac Records album 102), May 1941
[PETE SEEGER, solo]

LEE HAYS:
It stunned 'em. Its story of the strange death of a young man who died for no reason, and its last line which gave the reason... hit people right between the eyes, like a nine pound striking hammer.

Quoted in Ronald D. Cohen & Dave Samuelson, liner notes for "Songs for Political Action," Bear Family Records BCD 15720 JL, 1996, p. 77.

I'll sing you a song and it's not very long,
It's about a young man who never did wrong.
Suddenly he died one day
The reason why no one could say.

He was tall and long and his arms were strong
And this is the strange part of my song.
He was always well from foot to head
And then one day they found him dead.

They found him dead so I've been told
And his eyes were closed and his heart was cold.
Only one clue to why he died:
A bayonet sticking in his side.

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