He’s got an interstate running through his front yard“. The inspiration for this song, as I understand it, was a tribute to a black man who owned a pink house and lost part of his front yard when Interstate 465 around Indianapolis was built”….

The meaning of these words has been the subject of much debate, but for me the words suggest a reflection, a lament, and a cautionary note that our dream of a little house to call our own may be negatively impacted by progress. It contains the chorus…” Oh but ain’t that America for you and me, Ain’t that America we’re something to see baby, Ain’t that America, home of the free, Little pink houses for you and me”. One of my favorite Mellencamp songs is Pink Houses-Ain’t that America. He writes about the “American experience” and his lyrics describe the everyday kind of challenges of living in America and being part of the “American fabric”. “We only show what we want people to see, and we really never get to know anybody because not only are we doing that, everybody’s playing that game,” he says.John Cougar Mellencamp is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. They act as metaphors for the way we are. Mellencamp notes that they have swords behind their backs and calls them the most dangerous cards in the deck. Both the jack of spades and jack of hearts are facing sideways and are nicknamed one-eyed jacks since only one eye is visible. The album and title song are named after playing cards. This is an incredibly powerful body of work.” Monte Lipman, founder and CEO of Republic Records, considers it one of Mellencamp's best albums: 'His undeniable gift of storytelling and poetic narratives has never been more prolific. “I know that sounds like hocus pocus, but it’s true. You know what I mean? When I was a kid, I wasn’t open. Sometimes he is stunned by what comes out: “To be real honest with you, some of these lyrics are so much smarter than me.” Lyrics come first generally and he jots them down with paper and pen. I just let the song go where it wants to go and say what it wants to say.” 'When I was younger, I used to try to control my songs,' he says. Mellencamp, whose past hits include “Jack and Diane,” “Pink Houses” and “Hurts So Good,” doesn't labor over songs like he used to. Many of the pool of 30 songs that were edited down to a dozen were written before the pandemic, but some were inspired by it, like “Driving in the Rain.” They come very quickly to him these days. And it ain’t me, but it’s observations and it’s gone through my filter.” “This album really is one guy speaking about himself and his life.

“They just are sent to me and I am an open vessel,” he says. A voice in his head tells him to write them down, he says.

“Strictly a One-Eyed Jack” - with a cover painted by one of his sons, Speck - may be a Mellencamp album, but he's mysterious about where the songs come from. I know that sounds clichéd, but it’s true.” “As you get older, you realize that you really don’t know much of anything. “If I laugh out loud once a day, I’ve had a good day,” the singer-songwriter says. Other songs include “Driving in the Rain,” a euphemism his grandfather used to warn a young Mellencamp when he was living dangerously, “Sweet Honey Brown,” a song about a life wasted by heroin and “Chasing Rainbows,” which is advice to recognize your blessings. You’re watching the news - I don’t care which side of the rope you swing on - you’re hearing lies,” he says. “You’re watching television, you’re watching false advertising. Mellencamp was inspired to write the song after finding out that the average person hears several hundred lies a day - and tells about 150 of their own. “Don’t think that happened by accident,” he says with a raspy laugh. It is Mellencamp’s 25th album - even he loses count, calling it is 27th at one point - and it's filled with world-weary truths, like the opening song “I Always Lie to Strangers.” It’s important to be sung because, ultimately, your takeaway from that song is you need to squeeze every bit of happiness and life out of every day and not waste days.” “Not many people would sing a song starting with that line.

Pink houses song meaning