Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Little Boxes

Just off Park Street lies Stratton Place. Now, I've seen the prices of some of these homes for sale, so I know they're NOT made out of 'tickey-tackey', but this shot in showers does remind me of the Pete Seeger song. Pretty funny! It was written in 1962 to lampoon the spreading ills of suburbia of the 60s.
"Little houses on the hillside - Little houses made of tickey-tackey - and they're all made out of tickey-tackey - and they're all looking just the same"
-- "Little Houses" by Malvina Reynolds.

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.


4 comments:

  1. I love this little neighborhood. It never made me think of the Pete Seeger song. It actually made me think of Europe. Funny how different our responses to things can be.

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  2. Your photo makes me think of urban multi-family homes, or three deckers as we call them in Boston. Places where immigrants and working class people live. But your posting the song makes me think of the tv show Weeds, which was about ticky tacky little boxes and people. Funny show too.

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  3. Love the photo. And the reference to that song! I like how the ornamentation over the windows look like eyelashes over the "eyes" (windows).

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  4. There is a row of houses in Cobh, Ireland just outside of the City of Cork. Cobh is located on the coast and has the distinction of being the last Port of Call for the HMS Titanic. This row of multi colored buildings always reminds me of Cobh. The "bh" is the "v" translation in English and the town translates to "Cove". Beautiful town with historical significance. This photo would be seen on calendars and in homes all oer the World. Good one today.

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