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When Was the Last Time a Song Made You Cry?

John Doe №24 by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Nichola Scurry
4 min readOct 23, 2023
Teenage African American boy with a sad expression.
Photo by pixelshot, Canva One Design Use licence

The other day a song came on that made me stop everything I was doing, even breathing. I simply listened to the words and music. Pretty soon, tears were streaming down my face. I listened a second time, motionless in my chair.

I can’t tell you the last time I did that — really listened to a song. I wasn’t fiddling with my phone, or cleaning, or thinking of something clever to write. I just listened.

The song was “John Doe №24” by the country and folk musician, Mary Chapin Carpenter.

These days everything’s about the story. Write a good story and people read it. Include a good story in your presentation and people buy your crummy product. Ensure your resume tells a good story. Ensure your personal brand tells a good story. Same for the dross you post on social media.

Well, unlike many, Carpenter has actually managed to tell a good story in her song. One that’ll make you think and feel. That’s what good stories are meant to do — not make us buy junk we don’t need.

“John Doe №24” is from Carpenter’s fifth studio album, Stones in the Road, which came out in 1994 and earned her two Grammys.

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Nichola Scurry
Nichola Scurry

Written by Nichola Scurry

Not a data scientist. If you like my writing, I like coffee. ko-fi.com/nicscurry

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