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"Hand of John"

by Mark Buerschaper

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Mark Buerschaper
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I had admired many other songwriter's "ghost story" songs and recollected an incident of my own which involved the neighborhood drunk and his demise.

lyrics

I met an old man on a hot Chicago day
He rode his bicycle wherever he needed to go
My neighbors were scared and they stayed way out of his way
I could not figure out just why they would do so

It was said he usually drank a bit too much beer
At the time I did not even know his name
While wasted, he had a nasty looking sneer
It was a shame that he only had himself to blame

I try but I can't flee
He reaches from eternity
In the darkness I can see
The hand of John is after me

There was diner on the corner below my little room
So I went there one night for a bite to eat
The old drunk walked in with his cloud of gloom
While the patrons were quiet and they were white as sheets

He proceeded to order a bowl of nacho chips with extra cheese and jalapeno peppers
The patrons stared as he cursed them under his lips
While they kept their distance as if he was a leper

I try but I can't flee
He reaches from eternity
In the darkness I can see
The hand of John is after me

The chips were gone but there was still a bit of cheese
And the beer that night must have taken a mighty toll
I had to turn around and see why the patrons did freeze
The drunk was eating the cheese and the styrofoam bowl

Later that night as I lay upon my bed sheet
It seems I had the strangest of dreams

I floated out the window and down to the street
But experiences are not always what they seem

I try but I can't flee
He reaches from eternity
In the darkness I can see
The hand of John is after me

A station wagon door appeared to open on it's own
Leaning in I could see nothing but it was cold as ice
A hand reached out and grasped my wrist and it was only bone
I tried to pull away but the grip was like a vise

I try but I can't flee
He reaches from eternity
In the darkness I can see
The hand of John is after me

I saw Lucy, my neighbor the very next day
She asked if I had seen the police stop by this morning?
I said no I hadn't and what had happened on this Sunday?
She said that old drunk died last night without any warning
It seems he had a mixture of beer, heat and his medication while the temperature was 103 degrees
I said what kind of car and what was his name?
She said a station wagon, his name was John, I then felt a little uneasy

I try but I can't flee
He reaches from eternity
In the darkness I can see
The hand of John is after me

credits

released July 2, 2017
Mark Buerschaper - All aspects of performance and recording

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Mark Buerschaper Nashville, Tennessee

Since Aug. 2020, Mark has begun releasing the singles from his album, "One Year B.C." While all of the material was written during the stages of the Covid era, Mark likes to say that 1 and 1/2 songs are only about Covid. The album features the full gamut of his style which runs from introspective folk to novelty and alternative indie genres. Much of the commentary is about perceived social norms. ... more

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