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What happened here
As the New York sunset disappeared
I found an empty garden among the flagstones there
Who lived here
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
And now it all looks strange
It's funny how one insect can damage so much grain
And what's it for
This little empty garden by the brownstone door
And in the cracks along the sidewalk nothing grows no more
Who lived here
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
And we are so amazed, we're crippled and we're dazed
A gardener like that one no one can replace
And I've been knocking but no one answers
And I've been knocking most of the day
Oh and I've been calling, oh hey hey Johnny
Can't you come out to play
And through their tears
Some say he farmed his best in younger years
But he'd have said that roots grow stronger, if only he could hear
Who lived there
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
Now we pray for rain, and with every drop that falls
We hear, we hear your name
And I've been knocking but no one answers
And I've been knocking most of the day
Oh and I've been calling, oh hey hey Johnny
Can't you come out to play
And I've been knocking but no one answers
And I've been knocking most all the day
Oh and I've been calling, oh hey hey Johnny
Can't you come out, can you come out to play, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
As the New York sunset disappeared
I found an empty garden among the flagstones there
Who lived here
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
And now it all looks strange
It's funny how one insect can damage so much grain
And what's it for
This little empty garden by the brownstone door
And in the cracks along the sidewalk nothing grows no more
Who lived here
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
And we are so amazed, we're crippled and we're dazed
A gardener like that one no one can replace
And I've been knocking but no one answers
And I've been knocking most of the day
Oh and I've been calling, oh hey hey Johnny
Can't you come out to play
And through their tears
Some say he farmed his best in younger years
But he'd have said that roots grow stronger, if only he could hear
Who lived there
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
Now we pray for rain, and with every drop that falls
We hear, we hear your name
And I've been knocking but no one answers
And I've been knocking most of the day
Oh and I've been calling, oh hey hey Johnny
Can't you come out to play
And I've been knocking but no one answers
And I've been knocking most all the day
Oh and I've been calling, oh hey hey Johnny
Can't you come out, can you come out to play, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Can't you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
Lyrics submitted by honeypants
Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny) Lyrics as written by Elton John Bernie Taupin
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I agree with bluelady that the ending is both beautiful and sweet, and I never tire of hearing that part of this song. But to me, the line that grips me shall forever be "we're crippled and we're dazed". Every song about the loss of someone dear to us is filled with sadness and fond memories, but this powerful line underscores just how tragic this murder was, and how grevious a loss it was for all of us.