Who Needs the Peace Corps?
The Mothers of Invention Lyrics


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What's there to live for?

Who needs the peace corps?

Think I'll just DROP OUT

I'll go to Frisco
Buy a wig & sleep

On Owsley's floor



Walked past the wig store

Danced at the Fillmore

I'm completely stoned

I'm hippy & I'm trippy

I'm a gypsy on my own

I'll stay a week & get the crabs &

Take a bus back home

I'm really just a phony

But forgive me

'Cause I'm stoned



Every town must have a place

Where phony hippies meet

Psychedelic dungeons

Popping up on every street

GO TO SAN FRANCISCO . . .



How I love ya, How I love ya

How I love ya, How I love ya Frisco!

How I love ya, How I love ya

How I love ya, How I love ya

Oh, my hair is getting good in the back!



Every town must have a place

Where phony hippies meet

Psychedelic dungeons

Popping up on every street

GO TO SAN FRANCISCO . . .



Hotcha!



First I'll buy some beads

And then perhaps a leather band

To go around my head

Some feathers and bells

And a book of Indian lore

I will ask the Chamber Of Commerce

How to get to Haight Street

And smoke an awful lot of dope

I will wander around barefoot

I will have a psychedelic gleam in my eye at all times

I will love everyone

I will love the police as they kick the shit out of me on the street

I will sleep . . .

I will, I will go to a house

That's, that's what I will do

I will go to a house

Where there's a rock & roll band

'Cause the groups all live together

And I will join a rock & roll band

I will be their road manager

And I will stay there with them

And I will get the crabs

But I won't care





Because . . .

Overall Meaning

The Mothers of Invention's "Who Needs the Peace Corps?" can be seen as a satirical take on the counterculture movement of the 1960s. The lyrics poke fun at the idea of dropping out of society to become a "phony hippie" in San Francisco, with lines like "Think I'll just DROP OUT, I'll go to Frisco, Buy a wig & sleep on Owsley's floor." The singer's lack of genuine conviction to the counterculture movement is evident when he admits, "I'm really just a phony, But forgive me 'Cause I'm stoned."


The song is also critical of the commercialization and commodification of this movement, with lyrics like "Every town must have a place where phony hippies meet, psychedelic dungeons popping up on every street." The singer even plans to ask the Chamber of Commerce for directions to Haight Street, a nod to how the counterculture had become a tourist attraction.


Line by Line Meaning

What's there to live for?
Asking what the point of life is.


Who needs the peace corps?
Asking why anyone would bother to join the Peace Corps.


Think I'll just DROP OUT
Deciding not to participate in society as expected.


I'll go to Frisco
Going to San Francisco.


Buy a wig & sleep
Preparing to be homeless and sleep on someone's floor.


On Owsley's floor
Planned place to sleep, specifically on Owsley's floor.


Walked past the wig store
Observing the surroundings while wandering around.


Danced at the Fillmore
Attended concerts at the Fillmore Auditorium.


I'm completely stoned
Feeling high from drugs.


I'm hippy & I'm trippy
Describing a hippie lifestyle.


I'm a gypsy on my own
Identifying as a wanderer with no roots.


I'll stay a week & get the crabs & Take a bus back home
Planning to stay in San Francisco for a week and leave after catching a sexually transmitted infection.


I'm really just a phony
Admitting to not truly embodying the hippie lifestyle.


But forgive me 'Cause I'm stoned
Using drugs as an excuse for being fake.


Every town must have a place Where phony hippies meet Psychedelic dungeons Popping up on every street GO TO SAN FRANCISCO . . .
Commenting on fake hippies and saying to go to San Francisco to find them congregating.


How I love ya, How I love ya How I love ya, How I love ya Frisco! How I love ya, How I love ya How I love ya, How I love ya Oh, my hair is getting good in the back!
Expressing love for San Francisco and noticing that hair is growing longer.


First I'll buy some beads And then perhaps a leather band To go around my head Some feathers and bells And a book of Indian lore I will ask the Chamber Of Commerce How to get to Haight Street And smoke an awful lot of dope I will wander around barefoot I will have a psychedelic gleam in my eye at all times I will love everyone I will love the police as they kick the shit out of me on the street I will sleep . . .
Describing the plan to dress like a stereotypical hippie, learn about Native American culture, and explore the area while high on drugs.


I will, I will go to a house That's, that's what I will do I will go to a house Where there's a rock & roll band 'Cause the groups all live together And I will join a rock & roll band I will be their road manager And I will stay there with them And I will get the crabs But I won't care Because . . .
Going to a house where a rock band lives, joining the band as their road manager, and not caring if STIs are contracted.




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