Hide Away Folk Family

This is a song about a family hiding from the nazis in WWII. It is part of the WWII-song arc.

This is a very close-to-the-bone indictment of the borderline psychotic persecution complex that attends much of the "family"-oriented Fundamentalist Christian culture in the U.S. I know, because I lived with a certain amount of this: My ex is a fundie, who was plugged in with this cadre; some in this group are distinctly beyond "borderline." All the essential ingredients are here: The ideal of the "folk family"; a sad, if not tragic surrogate for genuine family love and affection. The reference to gasoline highlights the fact that much of what Americans tout as our values are really a rank materialism, internalized to the point where it becomes invisible, except as a vague (and not entirely unreasonable) fear that it could run down the drain any second. The bear is, of course, communism. The reference to irony points up the fact that this ilk won't cop to irony, and often resents it. The "daily home astrology report" is a pretty clever attempt to summon up an idealized example of the "new age"-leaning mainstream media dreaded by the xenophobes in the "Christian family" movement. To hear them, you'd think if the committed the unpardonable sin of turning the dial away from "the straight and narrow," they'd tune in Leslie Down. This song kept me pretty well grounded while I was being exposed to this stuff; Dobson and suchlike. Touche, Johns!

There might be something to the fundementalist christian thing; there definitely is some kind of group paranoia going on. I don't think the bear is supposed to be communism though, because "sadly the crosseyed bear" is a play on the hymn "gladly the cross I'd bear". Also, I think "they're pouring out our gasoline" means they poured the gasoline all around the house and are going to light a match to set it on fire.

destroyalltacos! Thanks so much for the insight on the hymn ref!

i read in a review somewhere that it is about a family being burnt alive. I always got the impression that it was kinda like a frankenstien story, this folk family is seen as strange to others and they are scared of them, and so destroy them. Hide away folk family is kind of like a warning for them to keep hidden because the world won't accept them. It also can kinda reflect the way documentary film makers sometimes go and live with bizare familys and to us there ways are wierd and scary and so we judge them. I think this is basicly saying that folk familys should keep hidden so they are not percecuted. No idea about the bear thing, but with the hymn referance i'm sure whatever it means is very clever!

does anyone know what they are saying at the end during the part were the audio sounds backwards?

I put it into a sound editing program and reversed it, and I don't think they're saying anything. It sounds like gibberish, but backwards gibberish, both forwards and backwards.

No matter what specific group the song is about the meaning is the same. A family that is somehow different from the rest of the community is being targeted with hate. Bombs, fire, violence. The family may be trying to subvert their heritage, or maybe not feel in touch with it.

As odd as it sounds I hear some references to Alanis Morisette. In her song "You oughta know" she references a "cross-eyed bear that you gave to me" and this is the only time I believe I've EVER heard a reference to a cross-eyed bear... maybe. Also, the irony-laced shoes could be a dig at her song "Irony". I have NO idea if this is correct or not but it's just something I was reminded of (this is a 90sish band).

The melody of this song sounds suspiciously similar to the Scottish folk song "Loch Lomond" ("you take the high road and I'll take the low road and I'll get to Scotland before ye").