John, you had no idea
that your lines would reverberate for centuries,
ranging from folk rock to psychedelic pop.
You brought warmth the heartless;
cultivated an era of peace.

John, you had no idea
upon taking your 1961 oath.
You asked us what we could do,
and we tried,
but what you did was braver.

John, you had no idea.
Repentance was what left your lips.
After death never changed your teachings.
Living water fell from your hands
as you wrestled injustice.

John, you had no idea
that conspiracy would plague your name.
Winn Dixie filled your ears and
steaming metal stained your palm
as you fell from the sky.

John, you had no idea
that your respect preceded popularity.
Son of the Bay State,
you founded an empire,
founded the American legacy.

John, you had no idea
if reason and tolerance governed man.
You wrote during the house of Bourbon.
Consciousness kept you dreaming,
and faith kept you fighting.