{This song was written by Mimi and Richard Farina (biographical links below) in 1965. The House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) still existed at that time; it was mercifully terminated in 1975.}
House of Unamerican Blues Activity Dream
I was standing on the sidewalk, had a noise in my head
There were loudspeakers babbling, but nothing was said
There were twenty-seven companies of female Marines
There were presidential candidates in new Levi jeans
It was the red, white and blue planning how to endure
The fife, drum and bugle marching down on the poor
God bless America, without any doubt
And I figured it was time to get out
Well, I have to b'lieve that in-between scenes, good people
Went and got 'em done in the sun, good people
Tourist information said to get on the stick
You ain't moving 'til you're grooving with a Cubana chick
So I hopped on a plane, I took a pill for my brain
And I discovered I was feeling all right
When I strolled down the Prado, people looked at me weird
Who's that hippy, hoppy character without any beard?
Drinking juice from papayas, singing songs to the trees
Dancing mambo on the beaches, spreading social disease
Now the Castro convertible was changing the style
A whole lot of action on a blockaded isle
When along come a summons in the middle of night
Saying, "Buddy, we're about to indict"
When I went up on the stand with my hand, good people
You've got to tell the truth in the booth, good people
Started out with information kind of remote
When a patriotic mother dragged me down by the throat
"When they ask you a question, they expect a reply!"
Doesn't matter if you're fixin' to die
Well, I was lying there unconscious, feeling kind of exempt
When the judge said that silence was a sign of contempt
He took out his gavel, banged me hard on the head
He fined me ten years in prison and a whole lot of bread
It was the red, white and blue making war on the poor
Blind mother Justice on a pile of manure
Say your prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance every night
And tomorrow you'll be feeling all right
Uh-huh-huh
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Cover version by Iain Matthews:
House of Unamerican Blues Activity Dream (youtube.com)
It may have been Iain Matthews’ misfortune to have been part of the groundbreaking British folk-rock group, Fairport Convention, where he was overshadowed by the vocals of Sandy Denny and the extraordinary guitar work of Richard Thompson. After leaving the band, Matthews made numerous solo albums (e.g., "Tigers Will Survive"), formed groups (e.g., Matthews Southern Comfort and Plainsong), and kept on making great music while gaining little recognition. Though he composed many of his own songs, he excelled at cover versions: this one, of course, and also the Matthews Southern Comfort version of “Woodstock”. Matthews also deserves credit for having created an entire album about the disappearance of Amelia Earhart (Plainsong, “In Search of Amelia Earhart”), an album which included his rendition of "I'll Fly Away".
Say what you will about HUAC, it kept us safe from the likes of Dalton Trumbo...
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