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Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Natalie Merchant
Vocals
Steve Gustafson
Bass Guitar
Jerome Augustyniak
Drums
Dennis Drew
Keyboards
Rob Buck
Guitar
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Natalie Merchant
Songwriter
Rob Buck
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Peter Asher
Producer
Doug Sax
Mastering Engineer
Duane Seykora
Assistant Engineer
Frank Wolf
Mixing Engineer
George Massenburg
Mixing Engineer
Mike Reese
Mastering Engineer
Sharon Rice
Additional Engineer
Shep Lonsdale
Assistant Engineer
Lyrics
Hey Jack Kerouac, I think of your mother
And the tears she cried, they were cried for none other
Than her little boy lost in our little world that hated
And that dared to drag him down, her little boy courageous
Who chose his words from mouths of babes got lost in the wood
Hip flask-slinging madman, steaming cafe flirts
They all spoke through you
Hey Jack, now for the tricky part
When you were the brightest star, who were the shadows?
Of the San Francisco beat boys, you were the favorite
Now they sit and rattle their bones and think of their blood-stoned days
You chose your words from mouths of babes, got lost in the wood
The hip flask-slinging madman, steaming cafe flirts
In Chinatown, howling at night
Allen, baby, why so jaded?
Have the boys all grown up and their beauty faded?
Billy, what a saint they've made you
Just like Mary down in Mexico on All Souls' Day
You chose your words from mouths of babes, got lost in the wood
Cool junk-booting madmen, street-minded girls
In Harlem, howling at night
What a tear-stained shock of the world
You've gone away without saying, saying, "Goodbye"
Written by: Natalie Merchant, Robert Buck