The Hueys: You Ain't No Hippie (Instant 3289)

Here we have a release from the same New Orleans label that brought you Chris Kenner. And while the group seems to have been lost in time (this appears to have been their only release),
the record itself is notable for its putdown of faux hippies. It came out in 1968, just about the time where hippies were blooming like ragweeds everywhere.

Opening with a funky bass line and a fast beat, the song soon gives way to the deep soul vocals that will dominate the rest of the record. The lyrics come from the perspective of someone who's "been up and down, all around," and he's "seen them come and go." He begins sizing up the phony hipster with the following words:

You call yourself a hippie,
I got news.
You look just like a beatnik
cause you have on shoes.
You go around braggin'
and you think you're cool.
You have no education,
and you talk like a fool.

You ain't big
You just talk
You ain't no hippie
'cause your head is bald.

Hmm, someone ought to play this for all those Phish fans. Just goes to show that some things never change. Anyhow, this one's a raucous little stomper regardless of your opinion of hippies. And that's what matters most to me.

I note in the songwriting credits an "H. Smith" is credited. Could that be Huey "Piano" Smith, by any chance? Anyone know?