He first appeared on the local Detroit scene in 1961 fronting a three-piece band called the Decibels. After they disbanded, Seger joined the four-piece Town Criers, a four-piece band who gained a steady following covered songs like "Louie Louie".
Seger soon left to join R&B group Doug Brown & the Omens. While Brown was the primary lead vocalist for the group, Seger would take the lead on some R&B covers. It was with this group that Seger first appeared on an officially released recording, the single "TGIF" backed with "First Girl". Around this time, Seger met his longtime manager Edward "Punch" Andrews, and began writing and producing for other acts that Andrews was managing, such as the Mama Cats and the Mushrooms (with future Eagle Glenn Frey). Andrews and his business partner Leone approached Seger and Brown to write a song for The Underdogs, another local band who recently had a hit with a song called "Man in the Glass". Seger contributed a song called "East Side Story", which ultimately proved to be a failure for The Underdogs.
Seger decided to record "East Side Story" himself, and officially left the Omens (though he did retain Doug Brown as a producer). As Bob Seger and the Last Heard, Seger released his version of the song with Hideout Records in January 1966, and it became his first big Detroit hit. The single (backed with "East Side Sound", an instrumental version of "East Side Story") sold 50,000 copies, mostly in the Detroit area, and led to a contract with Cameo-Parkway Records. Though the name "The Last Heard" originally referred to the collection of Omens and Town Criers who recorded "East Side Story" with Seger, it soon became the name of Seger's permanent band, which consisted of former Town Crier Pep Perrine on drums, Carl Lagassa on guitar, and Dan Honaker on bass. Following "East Side Story," the group released four more singles: the James Brown-inspired holiday single "Sock It To Me Santa", the Bob Dylan-esque "Persecution Smith", "Vagrant Winter", and perhaps the most notable, "Heavy Music", released in 1967. "Heavy Music", which sold even more copies than "East Side Story", had potential to break out nationally when Cameo-Parkway suddenly went out of business.
Seger and Andrews began searching for a new label. In the spring of 1968, Bob Seger & the Last Heard signed with Capitol Records, turning down Motown, who offered more money, as Seger felt that Capitol was more appropriate for his style of music. Capitol subsequently changed the name of the band to The Bob Seger System, a name which they would use until 1970 when Seger began a solo career.
Persecution Smith
Bob Seger & The Last Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't look at the sun
He reaches in the corner where
He keeps his loaded gun
Then he checks the firing action as
He straps it to his chest
Plans an ambush for the mailman even
Though it's all in jest
He's found uptown and underground
Unlike my friend Flicka you know
He's not a myth
He's Persecution, Persecution
Persecution Smith
He's found at every protest march
You'll see him looking on
He'd soon join in to help but
He thinks it's all in fun
'Cause he isn't color-blind not to
Mention no one's fool
He knows how things should be but he
Ain't out to change no rules
His eyes can't see like you and me
His voice can't speak but only shriek
His brain it is like jelly
His muscles they are stiff
He's Persecution, Persecution
Persecution Smith
You can't walk down the street no
More without him walking by
You can't go to sleep at
Night without hearing him cry
You can't read a newspaper
Without reading about him
You can't escape him in the crowd
For he will be among them
He's here, he's there, he's everywhere now
He's found uptown and underground
In Watts, California you know who he was with
With Persecution, Persecution
Persecution Smith
When you're finished with your ideals
And you're finished with your dreams
When you're finished your crusading
And no longer hear the screams
When you're finished trying to picture
A world with people free
When you're finished looking up and the
Down is all you see
Then make your goal the first foxhole
And hide your head beneath your bed
'Cause you won't be alone my friend
You know who you'll be with?
With Persecution, Persecution
Persecution Smith
Bob Seger And The Last Heard's song Persecution Smith is a song about a character named Persecution Smith who lives in a world where he believes he is constantly being persecuted, and as a result, he walks around with a loaded gun and plans ambushes. He is found at every protest march but doesn't believe in changing any rules but rather thinks it is all in fun. He is everywhere, and inescapable. The last verse of the song speaks to the futility of fighting for change and the hopelessness that many people feel.
The song seems to be a commentary on the societal divisions of the 1960s in America. The lyrics speak to the idea that people are becoming more and more divided and that people live in fear of being persecuted. Persecution Smith may be a metaphor for the opposition to progressive movements like the civil rights movement or anti-war protests, who see these movements as threats and constantly feel the need to defend their way of life.
The song goes beyond being just a social commentary. There is a metaphorical meaning that can be interpreted in the song. The lyrics suggest that paranoia and the belief that one is being persecuted can lead people to take extreme actions, such as walking around with a loaded gun. People can get so caught up in their beliefs that they ultimately become their own worst enemy.
Line by Line Meaning
He rises every morning but he
Don't look at the sun
Persecution Smith wakes up every day, but he doesn't bother to admire the sun.
He reaches in the corner where
He keeps his loaded gun
Persecution Smith takes out his loaded gun every morning from the same place.
Then he checks the firing action as
He straps it to his chest
Before leaving, Persecution Smith makes sure his gun is working correctly and secures it to his chest.
Plans an ambush for the mailman even
Though it's all in jest
Persecution Smith fantasizes about ambushing the mailman, but it's just a joke.
He's here, he's there, he's everywhere
He's found uptown and underground
Unlike my friend Flicka you know
He's not a myth
Persecution Smith is present everywhere, from uptown to underground, and he's not a myth like Bob Seger's imaginary friend, Flicka.
He's Persecution, Persecution
Persecution Smith
Persecution Smith is all about persecution.
He's found at every protest march
You'll see him looking on
He'd soon join in to help but
He thinks it's all in fun
Persecution Smith attends every protest march and watches from the sidelines. He would participate, but he considers it all fun and games.
'Cause he isn't color-blind not to
Mention no one's fool
He knows how things should be but he
Ain't out to change no rules
Persecution Smith is not ignorant of racial differences and is not gullible. While he knows how things should be, he isn't interested in breaking rules.
His eyes can't see like you and me
His voice can't speak but only shriek
His brain it is like jelly
His muscles they are stiff
Persecution Smith can't see or speak like most people. His brain is like jelly, and his muscles are stiff.
He's here, he's there, he's everywhere now
He's found uptown and underground
In Watts, California you know who he was with
With Persecution, Persecution
Persecution Smith
Persecution Smith is ubiquitous, found both uptown and underground, especially in Watts, California, where he was associated with Persecution.
When you're finished with your ideals
And you're finished with your dreams
When you're finished your crusading
And no longer hear the screams
When you're finished trying to picture
A world with people free
When you're finished looking up and the
Down is all you see
When you're done with your ideals, dreams, and crusades, and you no longer hear the struggles, and you can't imagine a world without struggles, and you're always depressed.
Then make your goal the first foxhole
And hide your head beneath your bed
'Cause you won't be alone my friend
You know who you'll be with?
When you're done with everything, your only goal should be to hide in a foxhole and keep your head low. Because you won't be alone, you'll be with someone who loves persecuting people.
With Persecution, Persecution
Persecution Smith
You'll be with Persecution Smith who is all about persecution.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind