Witness Post: Little Boxes

This Witness Post is about two artist: Tom Hunter and Malvina Reynolds. I met Malvina through Tom, giving me a combined recollection of them together. Both of these artists have now died, but their legacy lives on in their endearing music.

The inspiration for this Post was a professor at the University of Portland, Dr. Peter Thacker. On three separate occasions Dr. Thacker tried to entertain us with his a-cappella version of the folksong, Little Boxes. He has a kind heart and a nice idiosyncratic pitch. The words to this folk song escape him from time to time. Nonetheless he sings for the class with gusto. One of our classmates, Laura Wenrich, attached the words to Little Boxes, so when he next asked us to sing along, we could do so with authority, if we wanted. So here goes.

Witness Post: Little Boxes

Lyrics of the song, Little Boxes

The words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1962 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1990.

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,¹
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there’s doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

Lyrics to the Song, “Rock Me to Sleep“

Song Copyright 1977, Tom Hunter

All I can hear are the crickets

And the whistle from some lonely freight

I’ve been working so hard to make everything right

But for now it’ll just have to wait

CHORUS:

`Cause tonight I’d like you to rock me to sleep

I’d like you to sing me a song’

I’m tired of trying to figure things out

And I’m tired of being so strong

I’ve never been too good at asking

I’m more apt to do it alone

And it’s strange how a lot of us think something’s wrong

If we can’t do it all on our own

CHORUS

It’s funny how times when you’re hurting

Make what’s so familiar seem strange

So when you need help, it’s hardest to ask

And it always takes so long to change

CHORUS

Additional Footnotes:

1. The term “ticky tacky” is now included in the Oxford English Dictionary, and credited to Malvina Reynolds.

2. Pete Seeger’s recording of Little Boxes reached as high as number seventy on Billboard and number seventy-two on Cashbox in early 1964.

3. The Womenfolk’s version of Little Boxes peaked at number eighty-three on Billboard and number ninety-six on Cashbox in May 1964.