Old Hippie

Rather than targeting one individual, Howard Bellamy wrote this song as a paean to the generation defined by a mandatory draft into the war in Vietnam, and the aftereffects visited upon those who were lucky enough to make it back home. In a Songfacts interview with Bellamy, he said: "It was a specific generation, I think, more so than a person. There were several people we knew like that over the years. Our generation. I think that was why it was such a big song. That generation really identified with that record, because it was right in the Boomer generation that happened."

"It's a sad song," says Bellamy, "because it's an accurate portrayal of that fear. It's a true song, and a lot of times truth is sad. Just like our situation today (2007). We stay optimistic, but you really take an honest look and it's a pretty sad situation we're in."

This song was re-recorded with Montgomery Gentry for the Bellamy Brothers 2006 Angels and Outlaws album.