![little pink houses of america little pink houses of america](https://render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/square-product/small/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/3/little-pink-houses-colonial-america-mark-tisdale.jpg)
Losing out on the opportunity to build your dream home because of the current financial crises, coupled with the rising cost of energy, health concerns related to certain building materials, and the challenge of balancing cost, comfort, and constructability is equally despairing. Losing part of your home to progress in cases where a new highway is planned or a public project is proposed would certainly be cause for “despair”. Apparently Mellencamp was so struck by the “utter despair” of the man that he wrote the song in tribute. He’s got an interstate running through his front yard“. The inspiration for this song, as I understand it, was a tribute to a black man who owned a pink house and lost part of his front yard when Interstate 465 around Indianapolis was built”…. The meaning of these words has been the subject of much debate, but for me the words suggest a reflection, a lament, and a cautionary note that our dream of a little house to call our own may be negatively impacted by progress.
![little pink houses of america little pink houses of america](https://i.etsystatic.com/10368654/r/il/72e034/1453567123/il_fullxfull.1453567123_jwvw.jpg)
It contains the chorus…” Oh but ain’t that America for you and me, Ain’t that America we’re something to see baby, Ain’t that America, home of the free, Little pink houses for you and me”. One of my favorite Mellencamp songs is Pink Houses-Ain’t that America. He writes about the “American experience” and his lyrics describe the everyday kind of challenges of living in America and being part of the “American fabric”. John Cougar Mellencamp is one of my favorite singer/songwriters.