John's Children, formerly The Silence, were a 1960s proto-punk band from Le… Read Full Bio ↴John's Children, formerly The Silence, were a 1960s proto-punk band from Leatherhead, Surrey (UK) that existed from 1964 to 1968. Its members were Andy Ellison (vocals), Geoff McLelland (guitar, 1964-67), Chris Townson (drums, guitar), John Hewlett (bass), Marc Bolan (guitar, 1967, later of T. Rex fame) and Chris Colville (drums).

Their manager was Simon Napier-Bell, who devised white stage outfits and an outrageous stage act which included fighting each other and Bolan whipping the stage with a chain. Their 1967 single "Desdemona" was banned by the BBC for the 'controversial' lyric, "Lift up your skirt and fly".

Bolan was with the band for about four months. His main roles were to be the band's composer and play electric guitar (until then, he only played acoustic guitar). His singing voice is sometimes lead in "unofficial" recordings only (demos, BBC radio sessions). After he left, Townson switched to guitar and former roadie Chris Colville took over on drums.

John's Children recorded another single, "Go Go Girl", a Bolan composition he later recorded with Tyrannosaurus Rex as "Mustang Ford". John's Children also performed Bolan's "Mustang Ford" version of the song. The band released one more single, "It's Been a Long Time" (issued as an Andy Ellison solo single) and then embarked on a "disastrous" tour of Germany. Their last performance was at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany (substituting for the Bee Gees), after which they split up in 1968. Ellison went on to make several solo singles. before resurfacing in Jet in 1974, along with drummer Chris Townson. Jet metamorphosed into Radio Stars in the mid-Seventies.

Hippy Gumbo
John's Children Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Met a man he was nice
Said his name was paradise
Didn't realise at the time
That his face and mind were mine
Hippy Gumbo he's no good
Chop him up for firewood
It seemed good and it seemed right
That I should dig him on the night

But in the morning with the sun he pulled an automatic gun
He blew my soul, he blew my brain
He said I could not do the same
Hippy Gumbo he's no good
Chop him up for firewood

Hippy Gumbo he's no good
Chop him up and burn the wood.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to John's Children's "Hippy Gumbo" describe a cautionary tale about a man who calls himself Paradise, but ends up being dangerous and deceitful. The singer initially thinks he is a "nice" man, but soon realizes that they share a face and a mind. However, after spending the night with him, the singer wakes up to find that Paradise has an automatic gun and plans to kill them. Despite the singer's attempts to defend themselves, Paradise overpowers them and declares that they would not have been able to do the same.

The repeated refrain of "Hippy Gumbo he's no good, chop him up for firewood" illustrates the extent of the singer's anger and betrayal. They feel that Paradise, who claimed to embody everything that the hippie counterculture stood for, has turned out to be a hypocrite and a dangerous individual. The use of violent imagery, such as chopping him up for firewood, highlights how disillusioned and furious the singer is.

Overall, "Hippy Gumbo" speaks to the disappointment and disillusionment that can arise when people claim to be something they are not. The song suggests that it is important to stay vigilant and not be taken in by appearances or promises that sound too good to be true.

Line by Line Meaning

Met a man he was nice
I encountered a man who presented himself as personable

Said his name was paradise
He introduced himself as an idyllic concept

Didn't realise at the time
At that point, I was ignorant to the fact

That his face and mind were mine
That the man's countenance and thoughts were familiar to my own

Hippy Gumbo he's no good
This supposed 'Hippy Gumbo' individual is untrustworthy

Chop him up for firewood
He should be dismembered and used as fuel for a fire

It seemed good and it seemed right
At the time, it felt like a justified action

That I should dig him on the night
That I should accept him in the moment

But in the morning with the sun he pulled an automatic gun
However, the next morning he revealed himself to be armed with a deadly weapon

He blew my soul, he blew my brain
He figuratively and emotionally destroyed me

He said I could not do the same
He threatened that I couldn't retaliate in a similar manner