Hippie Songs

I was lucky enough to grow up in the sixties and seventies. Being the youngest of six kids, I was exposed to some of the greatest music ever. I had two older sisters that loved Motown music and anything you could dance to. My three older brothers were more into classic rock and some modern folk. I was the baby and being the baby had it's advantages. My love of music prompted my brothers and sisters to buy me records for Christmas and birthdays.

Luck always seemed to be with me when it came to music. I had a remarkable lady for a piano teacher and she was always willing to teach me any song I wanted to learn. Her flexibility is what kept me coming back for lessons for many years. My family was always very generous in buying sheet music of current songs that I could learn to play. Fortunately for me, they had fantastic taste in music.

It seems like everyone that was a part of my life as a child has some influence on my musical taste. I learned to love jazz and especially Al Jolson from my grandma. My grandpa passed on his love of German polkas to me. My parents were crazy about Frank Sinatra and , of course so was I . Even though I love so many different styles of music, I'm still most fond of old classic rock hippie songs. Here's a few of my favorites.

Woodstock / sung by : Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young , written by : Joni Mitchell
It has to be the top of the list. It's Woodstock! The lyrics to this song are so fitting of the event. When CSNY sing the lyrics " got to get back to the land sets my soul free " , anyone that was of age in the sixties knows exactly how that feels. I'd bet there's many lost hippies still out in this world wishing to get to that very place. The song ranks high for me because when it comes on , I rock out. The vocals fit the tune like a glove.

Share the Land / The Guess Who
This song has the attitude that made so many people walk around with smiles on their faces back then. People had such groovy ideas about sharing and loving without shame. There were many that actually believed the world was a place meant to be shared equally by all. The lyrics " talking bout together now" capture an idea that was held by so many hippies around the world at that time. Burton Cummings vocals added to the song as only he could.

Dawn is a Feeling / The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are such a far out band that it's incredibly hard to choose only one of their tunes. They made whole albums that were so psychedelic few bands could compare. The Moody Blues were the epitome of hippie bands. They even included poetry on their albums. Dawn is a Feeling was a tune included on the album Days of Future Past. Justin Hayward sings " the smell of grass just makes you pass into a dream " and most people did just that when they listened. Pull this one out of your album collection and fire up the turntable and smile.

All You Need is Love / The Beatles
We really believed it . There was actually a whole generation that thought that if we only loved each other we'd all be alright. The sixties and seventies were filled with fanfare. Everyone was dressing up and turning on . The Beatles reminded us to keep it simple and real. No need for fancy filling or strobing lights. A quick attitude adjustment and you could listen to the Beatles singing " love is all you need " being sure they were completely right on .

Little Wing / Jimi Hendrix
There were things Jimi could do that belonged to Jimi alone. When he fired up his guitar it was like he was sending a current through every body in listening range. What makes this song so special to me is that it's soft and pretty. It was actually a bit of a surprise to hear him sing " butterflies and zebras and moonbeams and fairy tales" but, it was totally beautiful.

He Ain't Heavy, He's my Brother / The Hollies
We were all brothers and sisters. That was the whole idea. It was so far out to see so many people caring about each other. The world was going through some drastic changes and we were all coming together to try to make those changes count. How could it be said better than " everyone's heart could be filled with a gladness and love for one another" ?! The Hollies had it going on . They saw what people were searching for and were able to put it in a song.

What's Going On / Marvin Gaye
This tune really captures it all. Marvin sang about the bad and the call to make it all good again. As easy as it is to look back with only fondness , the times were actually quite turbulent. People were protesting and fighting for the things they believed in. It wasn't all just peace and love. But what Marvin brought out in this song was the general ideas that made hippies real hippies. The lyrics " you know we've got to find a way to bring some love in here today" described exactly the change we were all looking for. The search and struggles were all just to find a way and bring the world to a loving, caring unity.

These tunes each hold a very special place in my heart. I'm sure they do the same in the hearts of most hippies left in this world. If you haven't heard them in awhile, dust off the old albums and kick back. It wouldn't even be a bad idea to get out that old black light you still have somewhere in your basement. I hope they bring as big of a smile to your face as they do to mine. Peace!