Marillion: Abraham, Martin, & John

In the US, today is a legal holiday celebrating the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. Because of this, I thought it fitting to feature the song “Abraham, Martin, & John.” Since I feature cover recordings on Monday, I wanted to find a version that was less familiar than Dion's 1968 hit single and stumbled upon Marillion’s live version.

It is interesting that a British prog rock band would perform this song in concert; however, they do an excellent version of the tune. The song celebrates the lives of four men who were instrumental in improving race relations and civil rights in the US: Abraham Lincoln; John F. Kennedy; Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Robert F. Kennedy. All four, died at the hands of an assassin’s bullet.

Dion's Original Version

Dion’s version takes the characters chronologically with Abraham, John, Martin, & Bobby; however, Marillion’s live version follows the title and takes the story line from Abraham to Martin and then flashes back to John. As with the title, the Bobby Kennedy verse was eliminated from their rendition of this tune.

Songwriter Dick Holler composed this song in 1968 following the deaths of King in April and Bobby Kennedy in June of that same year. Produced by Phil Gernhard, the single was the second collaborative effort by Gernhard and Holler. Previously they cowrote the Royal Guardsmen hit from 1966, “Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron.” Both the Royal Guardsmen and Dion DiMucci recorded for Laurie Records which released both songs.

A total of five versions placed within the US Top 40 making it the only song to chart by five different artists in the Top 40. Besides Dion’s #4 hit, the other charted versions of the song were recorded by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (#33), Marvin Gaye (#9), Moms Mobley (#35), and Tom Clay’s medley of “Abraham, Martin, & John” and “What the World Needs Now.” Clay's version, which also included recordings of the news reports of the shootings, was the highest charting cover; it peaked at eight on the singles chart in 1971. In addition, BMI (Broadcast Music International performing rights society) certified the song as receiving over four million airplay performances.

Lyrics

Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
You know, I just looked around and he's gone.

Anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked around and he's gone.

Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked 'round and he's gone.

Didn't you love the things that they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
And we'll be free someday soon,
and it's a-gonna be one day...

Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill,
With Abraham, Martin and John.