If you had to decide on the definitive song that described the hippie era, what would you choose. I'd like to think that mine would be something by Pete Seeger, but I can't come up with any specific title.
actually white rabbit is the song that best defines the hippie culture, although i am not to fond of jefferson airplane... pete seeger defines mid 60s political rebellion.. hippies were not political at all
For what it's worth - Buffalo Springfield (You can get anything you want at) Alice's Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie Long time gone - CSNY Wild thing - Jimi's version Suzie Q - CCR's version Mr Tambourine Man - The Byrds version, unfortunately Tommy can you hear me? - The Who All you need is love - Beatles Come together - Beatles Here comes the sun - Richie Havens' version
What are hippies then? I'd have to agree with Sarchi and say For What its Worth- Buffalo Springfield..
A few more that I think of as classic hippie era songs. Turn! turn! turn! - Byrds version Time of the Season - The Zombies One Tin Soldier - Coven California Dreamin' - Mamas and Papas Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell Share The Land - The Guess Who Everybody get together - Dave Clark Five Ooh Child - I like Richie Havens' version Teach your children - CSN Seeger was a cult figure to many of the progenitors of the hippie movement, keep in mind he was big in the late 40's/early 50's with The Weavers, then he was blacklisted as a Communist by Joe McCarthy. I think he spent 10 years out of work. Seeger did write the music for Turn! Turn! Turn!, but I always think of him as something of a roadblock to the changes that were taking place...probably an unfair criticism, but based largely on the hoopla surrounding Dylan going electric at Newport '65. Newport '65...Monterey Pop '67....Woodstock.......
well,the hippie era reached it's peak in Romania during the late 70s-early 80s.probably because of the communists considering any western influence as a dangerous thing that had to be stomped out. however,during that time a travelling band of artists ,Cenaclul Flacara,led by Adrian Paunescu,which i think is the biggest Romanian contemporary poet,did shows all over the country,calling for a masked intelectual resistance through art to the nomenklature's brainwashing.anyway,the whole thing is very complicated,the main ideea is they were much more culture oriented than the 60's western hippies,they didn't take drugs and their goal was to awaken people through art. so the song that defined them is Bieti lampagii (Poor Lanternlighters) by Tatiana Stepa (i'm not sure lantern is the right english word for it.it's reffering to those old streetlights based on gas/oil;lanternlighter-the guy that used to tour dark streets in the evening and set fire to the lanterns) "In a century of great night We set light to lanterns So you won't be sad So you won't be sad You extinguish them by dawn And we say goodbye Poor artists Poor artists Poor lanternlighters In the heavy century No matter what, We're always at work We set fire!We set fire! To the lanterns We set fire!We set fire! To the lanterns Next night is comming We light lanterns To make things beautiful To make things beautiful You extinguish them with hatred The dark is in your interest Oh,to what ends, Oh,to what ends! Poor lanternlighters In the heavy century No matter what, We're always at work We set fire!We set fire! To the lanterns We set fire!We set fire! To the lanterns We the blameless artists We carry light in our hands To give it back to you To give it back to you And should it happen That the gas will dissapear too We'll burn in it's stead We'll burn in it's stead Poor lanternlighters In the heavy century No matter what, We're always at work We set fire!We set fire! To the lanterns We set fire!We set fire! To the lanterns much of the lyrics' value has been taken away by my poor translation. a picture to see how much the people loved them,and how fanatical they were;when out of room,they used to climb buildings and trees to see the concerts and the poet:
In my opinion, hippies really weren't incredibly political. Yes, there were a ton of political groups and demonstrations during that significant time period, but in my mind I have always seen sort of 2 different sides to the whole "hippie" movement. Both sides were influenced greatly by drugs and music but it seems that the "yippies" (I liked Hoffman's ideas....) were much much more political than the drugged, music lovers who went flewing around the country away from their homes just because they wanted some sort of change in their lives and to be considered "outcast" from "normal" society. You really have to consider who many of the later (I'm talking the ones who came on to the scene in '69, simply due to tunes on the radio) people were. Just teens, many from ages sixteen to early twenties, the time period of many people's lives when they begin to question who they are and what they believe. They were too easily influenced and that's why I think that that was the point of the movement where things began to die. People were no longer real, they were just trying to trick themselves into thinking it. It was a fad to run to New York or San Francisco, a time-of-your-life thing that many felt they had to go about with in order to detach themselves with the kind of life they had grown to despise but eventually come apart of, the one they saw reflected in their parents. These were many of the hippies that many people stereotype today, it really is no wonder that some old old-timers still consider it offensive to call a kid a dirty hippie even if they were one themselves. The originals always hate the the next generation trying to feed off what they created.... Anywho, getting wayyyy off track here. The second group was probably A LOT more politcally oriented, they were the ones who didnt need the music or the drugs, but considered both of them very helpful for inspiration. I'm talking the ones who created the political movements, the ones who planned Chicago, and levitated the Pentagon. They wanted to see real change, and knew that it took more than a joint and some tie-dye to really achieve it. They were the true hippies in my eyes, the ones who could stand up to the force of goverenment when nobody else would. They didnt sit in bean bag chairs and complain "why isn't the revolution here" while listening to the radio....they were out there, CREATING the revolution. So, I hope you can see my point...maybe a bad place to put it, but this is just an idiot's perspective on the way the hip movement worked. There wasn't ONE group of hippies that followed one specific ruling of clothes, drugs and music, there were hundreds, they existed a thousand years ago, they still exist today, taking on the shape of different people trying to achieve the social and political changes necessary for Peace... My ramblings and I apologize...
