Mellencamp's "Rodeo Clown"

[Jack Bone]

I listened to John's most recent CD last night and I caught the hidden track "Rodeo Clown" at the end....I was blown-away by this great song...I tried to find the lyrics someplace online to no avail..but I did find this nice article...It concludes what I thought, that it's about bush...

Mellencamp All Fired Up
Los Angeles
January 24, 2007

In rock singer John Mellencamp's latest musical epistle from the heartland, Americans are vengeful, unforgiving, ignorant of other cultures and led by a president he describes as a "rodeo clown."

Yet it's an unusually mild outburst from the self-styled "outsider," whose state-of-the-nation observations are contained in his first album in three years, Freedom's Road.

Mellencamp, 55, has sung often about the flawed American dream throughout a career spanning 30 years, 19 albums and 10 Top 10 singles.

Famous for his short temper, the chain-smoking Indiana firebrand has also pilloried politicians, label executives and any other hapless souls who crossed him.

In a recent interview from the lakeside home in Bloomington, Indiana, that he shares with his 37-year-old wife and their two boys, an eerily calm Mellencamp recalled that his 1983 hit Pink Houses was "the biggest slam on America that you could ever write." But people never dug deeper than the catchy chorus line, "Ain't that America, home of the free," and interpreted the song as a patriotic ditty.

There's no misinterpreting Rodeo Clown, which appears as a hidden track, a few minutes after the main selection has ended.

President George Bush is the title character with "bloody red eyes," while the United States is an "arrogant nation" with "blood on her face" after the September 11 attacks.

While he considers himself "a very liberal person," he's also skeptical about politicians in general. "When you take their pants down they all have the same underwear on," he says.

He describes his album as more social than political, and says his songs offer a positive experience, as long as fans listen between the lines.<snip>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/mellencamp-all-fired-up/2007/01/23/1169518702722.html

[twylatharp]

1. I always thought Pink Houses was a banal patriotic song, too

just looked up the lyrics, though and it's not exactly biting but it isn't what I had thought. The new lyrics are a little more my style. That is sort of what I think a lot of Americans are like too, but not all, probably more where he lives. Wasn't he in a glam rock band for a while in the 70's or something?

[Kurovski]

2. I don't know about the glam band thing, but welcome to DU!

I love your choreography. ;-)

Little pink houses always reminded me of the old "Ticky-Tacky" suburb song of the 50's.

[twylatharp]

6. Oh the Joni Mitchell one, I love that. nt

[zulchzulu]

7. Welcome to DU! I think the tune is by Malvina Reynolds...

Little Boxes

by Malvina Reynolds

Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of tickytacky
Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same
There's a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses all went to the university
Where they were put in boxes and they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and there's lawyers, and business executives
And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course and drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children and the children go to school
And the children go to summer camp and then to the university
Where they are put in boxes and they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business and marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.


- Maybe Joni did a version...

[twylatharp]

16. One time I was at a restaurant during lunch

filled with Wall Street types, can't remember the name; a long time ago. But there was a folk singer with long braids, wearing a long skirt, and a guitar, very good. The suited patrons were ignoring her and talking and laughing so loud you could not hear her that well. She started singing that song and practically yelling "and they all live in ticky tacky houses and they ALL LOOK JUST THE SAME!!!" really loud., None of them got it , but I did and I will never forget it.

[Kurovski]

9. yep, Malvina reynolds

I think my mind merely connects "...and a pink one..." to JCM's song.

[twylatharp]

17. yes, I think she did just a version, oh well

I think she wrote Both Sides Now and Judy Collins sang that and always gets credit for writing it.
I'm probably wrong about that too.:blush:

[LibertyorDeath]

3. Thanx he's got a great way with words

"Rodeo Clown"

[salin]

4. Scarecrow - was what woke me up to his commentary

rocking songs - with a lot of social commentary.

When I was a freshman in college next door neighbor in the dorm was a 'president' of one of his first (maybe his first) fan club. He was still Johnny Cougar, and I don't know that many outside of Indiana were familiar with him. Then he broke out into mainstream and was "John Cougar" - fun music (and easily missed the message) - after I left the midwesst I heard the Scarecrow album - and was moved - that year, he headlined with Willie Nelson the first Farm Aid concert. I have listened to his early songs (including pink houses) with different ears - for years.

I love his music/work.

Fwiw, while I have never met him - I was at the next 'stall' at a local art fair once; and once was parked next to him at a nice local restaurant.

John - you make many of us Hoosiers - very proud!

[zulchzulu]

5. MP3 of the tune

It's from an online audio site and the bitrate is pretty low, but you can hear the tune enough to maybe buy the album...

Rodeo Clown

[Vinnie From Indy]

8. I partied with JC years ago in Bloomington IN

He is a unique and significant artist. He is a liberal and not afraid of a fight. Go Johnny Mellencougar!

[Kurovski]

10. An excellent painter, too.

[otohara]

11. Me Too...

he was promoting his releases, the record company had parties/dinner - I sat next to him at the dinner one, he was very quite and I'm pretty sure he didn't want to be there.

[Contrary1]

12. Lyrics :

Well there's blood on the hands of the rich politicians
Red is the color of the sand and the sea
Blood on the hands of an arrogant nation
who start all the bleeding over their policies

She blamed it all on whispering secrets
she blamed it on the moon and the sky
she thought she broke the back of the city
she thought she thought, she knew she had lied

She changed directions with the gas fires burning
racing for protection what could she possibly find
children with no legs out on the highways crawling
looking for an angel but they ran out of time

She had blood on her face so she had to get even
She hemorraged and bled all over the land
there's blood on the hands of those who kept silent
who won't count the bodies dead in the sand

so you can feast on your stories but it won't stop the bleeding
when the truth is found the houses will surely fall down
there's blood on their mouths of all lies and liars
the bloody red eyes
the bloody red eyes
the bloody red eyes of the rodeo clown....

[Jack Bone]

15. Thanx Soooo Much!

Such powerful lyrics....Thanx for posting them....They're a lil' difficult sometimes to decipher while listening, it's like a Stones song in that manner...It makes me feel that John strived for that, since the chorus kinda has a "Riffhard" vibe to it...Beautiful Song...and a "Grand Ending" to a great album...It's good to have him back making powerful populist music once again!!

[bklyncowgirl]

13. This is an insult to rodeo clowns...but on the other hand.

Rodeo clowns are brave guys who distract angry bulls from fallen cowboys. It's a dangerous job requiring physical courage and athleticism. Since Mr. Bush has never even been seen on a horse, I doubt very much he'd like to go anywhere near one of those huge rodeo bulls.

On the other hand I'd love to see Bush dressed up in a clown suit being chased by a bull. GO BULL!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

14. The lyrics to "Our Country" are a giveaway to his politics. That they've gotten play (overplay)

on corporomedia commercials, is pretty amusing. Plus, the first ad I saw had heartbreaking images, like NOLA underwater, and implied, very strongly, it was time to take back the country.

Now, they're more stereotypical truck ads...but, those words.


I can stand beside
Things I think are right
And I can stand beside
The idea of stand and fight
And I do believe
There’s a dream for everyone
This is our country
From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
This is our country

There's room enough here
For science to live
And there's room enough here
For religion to forgive
And try to understand
The other people of this world
This is our country
From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
This is our country

That poverty could be
Just another ugly thing
And bigotry could be
Seen only as obscene
And the ones that run this land
Will help the poor and common man
This is our country
From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
This is our country

The dream will never leave
And some day it will come true
And it’s up to me and you
To do the best that we can do
And let the voice of freedom
Sing out through this land
This is our country
From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
This is our country

MKJ :patriot: