Barry McGuire — Mr. Man on the Street - Act One

[Verse 1] I was walkin' up the street, the name you needn't know With one hand buried in my ear I listened to the radio When a man comes up to me and asks exactly who I am I told him I was the blue-jeaned brother of the King of Siam [Verse 2] 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 quotin' lines of moral law And then he grabbed my arm, the next thing I know I'm sittin' in this bar [Verse 3] He started drawiln' 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 sexy blonde sits down right next to me She said her name's Yvette, and starts talkin' about her medical history [Verse 4] With blue eyes that drive you crazy my heart was beatin' wild She'd told me she was in misery, she was a very sickly child Well, just then 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, she continued without a glance Told me how her doctor thought she had St. Vitus' dance Ah, I was gettin' nowhere, so I told her it's been sweet She asked me what my fame was, I said Mr. Man on the Street [Verse 5] By the time I got outside again the sun had already set I was walkin' by this bank just thinkin' 'bout Yvette When this motorcycle policeman, ah, he rolls up to me And he says I look suspicious, can he look at my ID I told him I forgot it, ah, in my room again Well, he threw me on his cycle and charged me with loiterin' [Verse 6] He asked me what I call myself, I told him Jesse James Well, he got real mad and said I better come up with my real name I said this is a holdup, and I want your motorbike He jumped off fast and growled at me, and I stole into the night I drove around a little while with my siren blowin' I have no place to be, and I don't care where I'm goin' [Verse 7] I ditched the bike downtown somewhere, I was dyin' on my feet I searched for an open crevice, I could get some sleep I guess I woke this bum up who started shoutin' 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 [Verse 8] He sort of looked me over and believed I was for real He asked if I was hungry and started cookin' up a meal And then he started gettin' friendly, and said 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 sunk to the ground, he knew he'd hit the skids [Verse 9] "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 mutterin' all about his ludicrous past I couldn't take no more, and I jumped to my feet He asked me where I was goin', l said, "To meet Mr. Man on the Street" [Outro] Huh-huh, ha-ha-ha Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha Get outta here Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha