Last week, Jim (NewEpicAuthor, A Unique Title For Me) set a theme of size (my selection). This week, he gives us the theme of the names Jack or John.

I bet several of us will choose this one today, but it seems appropriate at the moment.
I’ve presented Marvin Gaye a few times before on Song Lyric Sunday and I can’t really do any better, so here is another song of his. It was written by Dick Hollis, in response to the assassinations of Martin Luter King Jr and Bobby Kennedy, in close succession in the spring/summer of 1968. The song itself is about the icons for social change, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and John F Kennedy, and was first recorded by folk singer Dion, with whom it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Marvin recorded a version in 1970, which reached #9 in the UK. It was not released as a single in the USA but later appeared on the album What’s Going On, in 1971. This is Abraham, Martin and John.
Has anyone here seen my old friend Abraham?
Dick Hollis
Can you tell me whe he’s gone?
Oh, he freed a lot of people
but it seems the good die young, yeah.
I just looked around and he was gone.
Hmmm
Has anyone here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me whe he’s gone?
You know, he freed a lot of people
but it seems the good die young, yeah.
I just looked around and he was gone.
Oh yeah
Has anyone here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me whe he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people
but it seems the good die young, yeah.
I just looked around and he was gone.
[Insrumental]
Has anyone here seen my friend Bobby?
Can you tell me whe he’s gone?
You know, he freed a lot of people
but the good, they die young, yeah.
I just looked around and he was gone.
Oh, I just looked around and they were gone, oh yes.
So many artists recorded this one and I never got tired of hearing it. Still a moving song. Thanks for sharing.
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I was tempted to link to the original, but Marvin does something to me…
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I loved all of his work, but that entire album takes you to a different place.
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Who doesn’t love a bit of Marvin Gaye? Yes, I love that track too but guess what? I’d never understood who he was singing about or why – Doh!
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Then I’m glad that something I wrote was informative 🙂
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Lol, you always do Pete 😉 And now every time I here that track, I’ll be thinking of you – not in a romantic way. You know what I mean lol.
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Marvin does a great rendition of this song.
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Popular today. Great choice.
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Sure is popular today, but that’s okay by me. So soothing in my mind regardless of the tones of the lyrics. 🙂
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A deep song that says so much.
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[…] week, Jim (NewEpicAuthor, A Unique Title For Me) set the boys’ names of Jack or John (my selection). This week, he gives us the girls’ names of Marie, Maria or […]
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