Three men's lives, told through the story of one song. Jerry Jeff Walker, the singer and writer behind the classic hit "Mr. Bojangles," never would have expected that his song, inspired by an experience in a New Orleans jail cell, would make Richard Nixon cry, or that it would be covered by Sammy Davis Jr., the entertainment giant and, controversially, a supporter of Nixon.This work, told through the perspective of writer, performer and listener, traces these three men's overlapping journeys through the American consciousness. Chapters discuss the history of Walker's song, Davis Jr.'s rise from rags to riches, Nixon's journey from the son of a grocer to becoming President of the United States, and more.