Lyrics Barry McGuire – Mr. Man On The Street, Act One

I was walking up the street the name you needn’t know
With one hand buried in my ear a listening to the radio
When a man comes up to me and asks exactly who I am
I told him I was the bluechin brother of the King of Siam

I whispered «I’m incognito would you please not spread it around»
I wrote it on a pad he had and threw it to the ground
He swore to keep my secret quoting lines of moral law
And then he grabbed my arm the next thing I know I’m sitting in this bar

He started drawing on about the sorrows of his day
I smiled and looked around to see how I could get away
I asked what he thought of World War II he said he dug the book much better
He was a Phys. Ed teacher and on his chest there was a Scarlet letter
Just then a 6’8′ blonde sits down right next to me
She said her name’s Yvette and starts talking about her medical history

With blue eyes that drive you crazy my heart was beating wild
She’d told me she was in misery ache was a very sickly child
Well Just than mighty Joe Young gets up and he starts to cry
He whined I’ll see you later and I tipped my crown goodbye

I apologized for the interruption and she continued without a glance
Told me how her doctor thought she had St. Vitus’ Dance
Oh I was getting nowhere so I told her it’s been sweet
She asked me what my fame was I said Mr. Man on the street

By the time I got outside again the sun had already set
I was walking by this bank just thinking about Yvette
When this motorcycle policeman oh he rolls up to me
And he says I look suspicious can he look at my ID
I told him I forget it ah in my room again
Well he threw me on his cycle and charged me with loitering

He asked me what I called myself I told him Jesse James
Well he got real mad and said I better come up with my real name

I ditched the bike downtown somewhere I was dying on my feet
I searched for an open crevice I could get some sleep
I guess I wake this bum up who started shouting at the top of his lungs
«Just who the hell do you think you are» I said «Napoleon?»
He yelled at me I got no right to invade his domain
Well I crossed my eyes tucked my head in my shirt and pretended I was insane

He sort of I looked me over and believed I was for real
He asked it I was hungry and started cooking up a meal
And then he started getting friendly and says he’s not a bum at all
But an elevator operator who just took a nasty fall
Out of habit he asked me for a dime then he realized what he did
His grimy face sank to the ground he knew he’d hit the skids

«Society’s to blame not me I’d work if they asked me to
Machines have taken over what real men used to do
And I don’t want to be a part of a world that’s made me an outcast»
And then he started muttering all about his ludicrous past
I couldn’t take no more and I jumped to my feet
He asked my where I was going I said to meet Mr. Man on the street