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Hippie Boy
The Flying Burrito Brothers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was walking down the street the other day
A sight came before my eyes
It was a little hippie boy
I must have been twice his size

His appearance typefied his strange breed
Gaudy clothes, long stringy hair hanging down
I'd seen perhaps a thousand
In my early trips to town

As he walked on beside me on down the block
I noticed no unpleasing smell
He might have been on the weed or even LSD
But if he was I couldn't tell

So we walked together that way through this neighborhood
Finally he turned around to me and he
He said "friend you know we're a million miles apart
But you know something?
We can enjoy the sunshine and the weather
So why don't we put our differences aside
And just talk to each other?
You see this box beneath my arm?
To you it's plain, it has no charm
But to someone dearest to my heart
This box has played a tragic part

This little one can't tell you himself
About his life and how he died
But if anyone else could speak for him,
I guess I'm qualified
This boy was in Chicago, he didn't know why he was there
He was with his family and friends and he didn't really care
You might have been one of those who saw
The struggle there on your television screen
The tragic thing is so much else happened

That no one else could have seen
A stranger handed this boy a dollar
To do a simple chore
To carry a package to a nearby hotel

And when he returned he'd get two more
But when he came back he sort of lost his way walking through the crowd
One of them things you ask yourself,
How the Lord allowed

But when he was found he was like he is now,
Dreaming sweet and still
And in his little hand was a crumpled dollar bill
Now you can take that dollar
Get four cents on it, compound it quarterly at any downtown bank

So they can back some hot new tank or atom bomb
Well, what I'm going to tell you now, you can stay or you can leave
You kind of listened to my story so far but just one more thing
It's the same for any hippie, bum or hillbilly out on the street

Just remember this little boy and never carry more than you can eat
Now could you help us sing this song, please

There will be peace in the valley for him now we pray
I will think of the little hippie boy that way

Overall Meaning

The Flying Burrito Brothers' "Hippie Boy" tells the story of a chance encounter between the singer and a young hippie boy. The singer, who is larger than the boy, is struck by the boy's appearance, which he characterizes as "gaudy" and "strange." Despite this, the singer does not find the boy to be unappealing, and the two walk together through the neighborhood. The boy tells the singer about his life, and shares with him a box that is a reminder of a tragedy. The box belonged to a young boy who died in Chicago, and was given to the hippie boy by a stranger who asked him to deliver a package to a nearby hotel. The boy became lost in the crowd, and when he was found, he was dreaming and holding a crumpled dollar bill.


The song is a poignant reminder of the often tragic circumstances behind the hippie movement of the 1960s. It draws attention to the fact that, while many people saw the protests and the music, they did not necessarily see the underground culture that fueled the movement. The song also highlights the humanity of the hippie subculture, despite its often unconventional appearance.


Line by Line Meaning

I was walking down the street the other day
One day, as I walked along the street


A sight came before my eyes
I encountered a sight that caught my attention


It was a little hippie boy
A young boy with a hippie appearance


I must have been twice his size
He was much shorter and smaller than me


His appearance typefied his strange breed
His look and clothing were characteristic of the hippie culture


Gaudy clothes, long stringy hair hanging down
He wore flashy clothes and had unkempt, long, and thin hair


I'd seen perhaps a thousand
I had seen many people like him before


In my early trips to town
During my early visits to the city


As he walked on beside me on down the block
He continued to walk with me as we moved down the street


I noticed no unpleasing smell
Despite his appearance, he didn't have an unpleasant odor


He might have been on the weed or even LSD
He may have used marijuana or the drug LSD


But if he was I couldn't tell
However, I couldn't discern whether he was high or not


So we walked together that way through this neighborhood
We continued to walk this way through the community


Finally he turned around to me and he
After some time, he faced me


He said 'friend you know we're a million miles apart
He said to me that we were different from each other


But you know something?
But then he said something else


We can enjoy the sunshine and the weather
We can both enjoy the warmth and beauty of the outdoors


So why don't we put our differences aside
Therefore, we should ignore our disparities


And just talk to each other?
In order to simply engage in conversation?


You see this box beneath my arm?
He then pointed to the box he was carrying


To you it's plain, it has no charm
To an outsider, it appears unremarkable


But to someone dearest to my heart
For someone special to me


This box has played a tragic part
This container had been involved in a terrible occurrence


This little one can't tell you himself
The young boy whom the box belonged to was unable to convey the details


About his life and how he died
Regarding his life history and how he passed away


But if anyone else could speak for him,
If anyone could represent his story,


I guess I'm qualified
The hippie boy felt that he was qualified


This boy was in Chicago, he didn't know why he was there
The boy was in Chicago, but didn't know how he got there, or why he was there


He was with his family and friends and he didn't really care
He was surrounded by loved ones, and unconcerned about his situation


You might have been one of those who saw
The listener may have observed


The struggle there on your television screen
The viewer may have watched the conflict on their TV


The tragic thing is so much else happened
Unfortunately, there were other unfortunate events that occurred


That no one else could have seen
But those events went unnoticed


A stranger handed this boy a dollar
A passerby gave the boy a dollar


To do a simple chore
In order to accomplish an easy task


To carry a package to a nearby hotel
To transport an item to a nearby lodging establishment


And when he returned he'd get two more
Upon his return, he was promised an additional two dollars


But when he came back he sort of lost his way walking through the crowd
Unfortunately, he became lost in the commotion when he tried to return


One of them things you ask yourself,
It was one of those paradoxical events that one ponders


How the Lord allowed
How God permitted it to occur


But when he was found he was like he is now,
Ultimately, he was discovered in the current state he finds himself in


Dreaming sweet and still
The child was dreaming peacefully


And in his little hand was a crumpled dollar bill
But he still clutched the dollar bill in his tiny hand


Now you can take that dollar
It's feasible to take that bill


Get four cents on it, compound it quarterly at any downtown bank
And convert it into interest by depositing it at a city bank, quarterly


So they can back some hot new tank or atom bomb
It might fuel the construction of a powerful military vehicle or weapon


Well, what I'm going to tell you now, you can stay or you can leave
The singer offers the listener an out – they can choose to stay and listen, or not


You kind of listened to my story so far but just one more thing
The listener has been paying attention thus far, but he has one more thing to elaborate


It's the same for any hippie, bum or hillbilly out on the street
This situation is not unique – it could happen to anyone, regardless of their social status


Just remember this little boy and never carry more than you can eat
The story of this little boy is a reminder to be content with what one has, and not to go overboard in pursuit of more


There will be peace in the valley for him now we pray
We pray that he has found peace in a better place


I will think of the little hippie boy that way
The artist intends to remember the boy in the spirit of the message he conveyed




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER HILLMAN, GRAM PARSONS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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