Pink Houses (4:44)

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“Pink Houses” is a song written and sung by John Cougar Mellencamp. It was released on the 1983 album Uh-Huh on Riva Records. It reached #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984. “Pink Houses” was ranked #439 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Recorded in a farmhouse in Brownstown, Indiana, the song was inspired when Mellencamp was driving along an overpass on the way home to Bloomington, Indiana from the Indianapolis airport. There was an old black man sitting outside his little pink shotgun house with his cat in his arms, completely unperturbed by the traffic speeding along the highway in his front yard. “He waved, and I waved back,” Mellencamp said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “That’s how ‘Pink Houses’ started.”

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rock, classic rock, 80s, americana, john mellencamp
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John Mellencamp performing his classic "Pink Houses" live on 11-3-2007 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indiana

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TheLoveGuru wrote:
Tuesday evening

Great track.

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mcsutter wrote:
Sunday afternoon

WOW! I love that Song. Great Performance @ the Concert for New York! He is fantastic!

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bigmanbmoney wrote:
last week

never met Mr. Cougar, but if I did, i would say, "nice job, John-dude."

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free_4_sea wrote:
14 days ago

very good

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dannibal62 wrote:
25 days ago

Very political.

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ktap1 wrote:
last month

Well said Traubster...

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Marjo47 wrote:
last month

Good song!

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kirica2361 wrote:
last month

Bueno.

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scientist4u wrote:
last month

wonderfull

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sdlierle wrote:
last month

80's pop rock so cool!!!!!

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diamondave007 wrote:
October 2009

this is life...live it. oh ya the simple man... lives in a pink house, white picket fence and pays his bills and rides his Harley with his ol' Lady by his side. There's only ONE U.S.A.

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caseychinn wrote:
October 2009

WTF?? I fail to see how does this song slanders America? I think it's a song sung straight from a blue collar, working class perspective. How is that unpatriotic?

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jaydoubleu wrote:
October 2009

Certainly one of the top four songs that slander America that get confused for being patriotic of all time.

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traubster wrote:
October 2009

I don't appreciate it when some random tool from Spain tries talking crap about America, srf21c. Stupid, arrogant Spaniard... See how it feels? Yeah, shut up. Good song, by the way.

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srf21c wrote:
September 2009

Even though I'm sad that America isn't the land of the free anymore, I still love this song.

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Antridian wrote:
September 2009

I loved this song the first 100 or so times I heard it played on the radio. Tired of hearing it, but have to admit it's still a great song. John was at his peak at this time period.

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JUMBOWAT wrote:
August 2009

just great

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patoyou wrote:
August 2009

"...remember when you could stop a clock"

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caliboy1956 wrote:
July 2009

It's why we recite the National Anthem before school everyday,and all American Sporting Events. Anyone who knew, knows a Veteran knows this to be True! Land of the FREE!

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steveearlefan wrote:
July 2009

Ahhhhh, now that's roots rock n' roll

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