This is Teddy Teapot with Teddy Mellencamp. So you guys, welcome to this week's Teddy Teapod. I have a very special guest that I, to be perfectly honest, I never thought would join me, and that is my father, John Mellencamp. Hi Dad, Hi kids? What's going on? So? Um? I just have to first put this out here. Any of the questions that I'm about to be asking are from Teddy te Pod and Instagram, So anything I asked can't and won't be used against me. Okay, okay, so Dad, what area? I'll let it be uh A guest? Yeah? Yeah, just normally do don't use my excitable boys, No, don't, don't don't use your interview boys. So let's just talk. Okay, fine, fine, but then you can't get wrapped at me. If I'm you know, asking something that annoys you, I just won't answer. Simple okay, fine? What kisses you off the most? Huh? What kisses you off the most? Um ingratitude? I? Uh? You know this. I don't like to uh. I like to do things for people, but I don't like them when they started expecting me to do things for them, and then you know, that my moods are always pissed off or mad. So I'm either in the state of being piste off or mad, and then maybe something a little higher than that. I don't know. I would say it's piste off mad or you're telling jokes and stories, which is my favorite thing about you telling what kind of stories? You tell the best stories? Always, I'm a songwriter. I'm supposed to tell stories. That people don't stand is that songs are not about me, their stories. Like I just wrote a song called I Always Like as Strangers and everybody that I played it for go? Is that true? You really do that? I went, God, damn it. It's the song. It's to entertain people. What is the favorite song you've ever written in your life. I haven't written that song yet. I'm still searching for that song. Do you have a favorite song to perform? No, not particularly, uh. I know that there's songs that the audience like need to perform, But as you know, we're not performing right now because of this COVID and so all uh, all live artists are kind of sideline right now. You know, we can't go out and play. I don't know when we'll be able to go out and play, and it kind of frightens me because that's all I know how to do is go out and play. Well, that's what I was going to ask, like during this time, which I think, no matter what business you're in, you know, people are going through so much chain and change, and some people are using that to grow, and some people are using that because they're in real pain and they don't know what to do right now in the midst of all of this. What's your best advice and what keeps you going? I think that I think that I try to and I know you won't believe this, but I try to to take this moment and learn something. Ah, every day by making something, you know, I paint every day if I'm not paying meaning I'm writing a song. So I'm always in the motion of creation. Uh, and that keeps my mind active. I think what I've discovered during the pandemic is that my life has not changed one iota except I can't go out and play and I can't go in the recording studio. But I'm a hermit and you know that. And but the difference is I choose to live this way. Uh. But when you're forced to live this way, it's a different story. So the idea that we have to do something, uh, you know, is annoying to me that I'm not doing anything really that different. I'm just not traveling as much and I'm not playing, and I'm not i can't go in the studio. But other than that, my life has changed very little. So what should people do? What should people do? They should look for the thing that can elevate them, you know in this time period. I'm not saying note because you're always painting or writing. Do you ever think that you'll write a book about your life. I've been asked to since I was in my thirties, and um, I don't know. I don't know who would be interested in reading it, and I know it would be a lot of work. And uh, that's why I'm a songwriter and not a book writer. It's because you know it takes you know, you can write. You can write some songs in five minutes and in some songs take years, but it's not a focused concentration day after that. On the same thing, as you know, my attention span is short also that I do know, and do you think because of this reason, that's how you're able to keep your private life so private? Well I look not dead, God damn private. They just called me and told they just called and told me They're going to run a thing in National Enquire about me, Me and Ryan and Jamie, and you know, I'm so sick of this crap. Well who can Who cares about a sixty nine year old man? Apparently a lot of people, which brings me to my next question, which makes me fully want to dry heave. Everybody wants to know all about your love life. Like, I don't know, I don't get it. So many women wrote in like tell me about the love life? Is he single? What kind of woman does he like? Is he like the older younger woman? Tell her short? I'm like, I am gonna bar for reading these. Yeah, I would imagine it would be kind of uncomfortable for a child to be reading about their parents. A matter of fact, one time, when I was a kid in the sixties, Uh, my mom, as you know, was very attractive, and uh, one of our friends said to my older brother Joe, I'd like to have sex with your mother. And Joe pumps into faith you did. And Joe couldn't beat up anything, but it annoyed him so much that you know this kid would say that about you know, our mom, that he just haul up and hit him just I was standing in your island, what what's happening here? Because it didn't buy you know, I didn't care, but it offended Joe. It didn't bother me, but offended Joe. Well, I don't think it bode too well if I went off hitting people that asked me about you, because give me in a lot of trouble. But what so what what little juicy tidbits can you give on your love life? And I'll block my ears? Uh? None, so you don't have to block there. There's no conversation about that. Alright, alright, fine. On that same token, how do you think that with all of the success that you've had, all of the touring, all of the fans, that you stayed humble and low key during this time. I don't know. Some people don't think don't don't think that about me. I mean, you know, uh, some people have a really bad interpretation of the way that I lived in things that I say because you know, you know, Teddy, I'll say anything to anybody. I'm not afraid to say anything to anybody. And if I have an opinion. I'm not afraid to voice it, and I understand that it's just my opinion, but I feel that it's our responsibility as human beings to voice our opinion and be individuals and not try to fall in with the herd and be like everybody else. Uh, Because you know, I'm quite colorful, and I like that about myself and I like the fact that people who know me understand that. But there are people who don't get it. Do you think that I've become such a no at all because of that? Now? I think you've become such a know at all because you've always been such a know at all. I think you can out of your mother not thinking you knew everything? But dad, who do you call when you need advice? I had lots of sources. You are one of them. I'm just giving myself a little pat on the back right now. I think I'm pretty good at talking you through things. And I would say that you are my first phone call when I'm upset or when i'm proud. Well, you know, and that's why your life gets screwed up asking me. I don't know, but you there's something about you that you know, which I think is your greatest gift, even though you know you say your two biggest things are you know, pissed and mad, is that you have a way of knowing what you need to do in that moment to make somebody feel safe and to feel relaxed. Like I I, no matter what it was like if it was after I had a miscarriage or when I had such bad driving anxiety I like could barely drive to work, you always knew the right thing to say. And I like so grateful to that because I knew that whenever I was having one of my like anxiety attacks, you you could fix it in five minutes. Well. And the reason I was helped that I could be helpful is because I too suffered from driving driving anxiety tagged back in the in the early seventies, before they even had the word, you know, social anxiety or panic disorder. They didn't have any of those words or did they diagnose people with that. The first time I had a huge panic attack, I needed to go to the doctor. So my mom and my grandmother, Grandma law took me up to Annapolis to this specialist. And here was his advice, John, we need to calm down, Like, oh, thanks, I would have been so passed. Well, they you know, they didn't have anything to offer, you know, they just they just did in nineteen seventy seventy seventy one, they didn't have any information to offer, you know, of any help. And I went to a place called Quinco that had a psychologist and psychiatrists, and they were literally no help because they just weren't you know, people weren't having panic disorder particularly uh, you know in nineteen seventy they just they just didn't do that. They didn't know about it. Did they know how to deal with it? When you go to the specialists and the specialist advice is Tom down, Okay, thanks a lot. Yeah, I kind of knew that. Well. I think the biggest thing, and I know you've been so helpful with Slate and me and everything, is also knowing that you're not alone. And I think that the fact that you've been open about it and that you talk about it makes also gives you peace of mind because I know with my anxiety sometimes I think this only happens to me, and nobody could possibly understand what I'm going through in this moment. But when you have somebody that can relate to you and say, you know this happened to me. It helps you. Yeah, And plus you know since nine seventy and that's the overstimulation that lived with the new society. And I suppose all societies when we get so much information. And it wasn't like that when I was a kid, because you know, I had no idea what was going on with me. You know, I had never nobody had ever spoke to me about anxiety. I didn't know. I thought I was dying and it was for years. It was crippling. I'll tell you a quick story. I was us to go ah induct Pete Seeger. You probably don't know who that is, but he's a real famous old folk singer. And he was in the Weavers and he wrote where have all the Flowers Gone? And he wrote if I had Hannah, And I was asked to them to the Kennedy Center, and he was getting the Kennedy Award and I was looking forward to it. And I had talked with Pete and he was, you know, he was an old man, I thought, you know, for me, I was in my thirties and early thirties maybe, And uh so the day of the the day I was supposed to fly to Washington, d C. I couldn't go. I mean I didn't he couldn't go. I couldn't leave the house. And I had to call up. You know, I thought, oh, I'll get over and I'll get over, but I couldn't get over. So I had to call up like when I was supposed to get on the plane and say guys, I can't good And I really, uh looked back on that and thought little loss for me not being able to induct Pete figured into the Kennedy Honors, uh, because I didn't know how to get over myself and to learn how to deal with the anxiety. And you know, like I said, obviously my thirties when it's happened. So I saw Pete and he brought it. You know, Pete ended up playing the fun made before he died, and I talked to him for a minute. He asked me, be goes, what happened that day, you know, thirty years ago or forty years ago, whatever it was. And I told him so he understood. But it's still, you know, I still a kind of regretful that that that that that happ city. I was so bad at one time with anxiety that I could not drive. I couldn't leave the house. Uh. If I had to leave the house, even to go to my parents house, I would time it in time how long I was going to be gone, and how many miles it was, and how long it's gonna take me to get home because home was my safe place. Right, It's crazy, you know you how have you gotten through it? Because it has gotten significantly better. Oh yeah, I'm not. I'm I hardly ever have it. The only time I have it is it is it's I'm if I get into a dark state of mind and all of a sudden I can feel it coming on. And now they have a drug called zan X and whenever I feel that feeling, I just take a half of zann X and it goes away. So they have medicine for this. But you know, I don't encourage anybody taking zanex on a recreational and a red creational way. But uh, you know it's a miracle drug and has been for me because I use it properly, right which and I use it and I use it very rarely. And you also exercise and do things that you love. I mean, I know for me, just moving helps me, being outside, seeing fresh air, and you know, working on things that I care about. Well, there's an old saying, and I used to tell myself this when I was younger, the idol, your idol mind is the devil's playground, and you're going to get yourself in trouble. John sitting around your feeling sorry for yourself. So that's America's number one patch. Time's feeling soccer for themselves. I know, I think I'm going through that a little myself. You know, I'm trying to figure out like my next step in my life, and like my all in business is good, my family is good. We've just moved into this new house. Like I should be feeling so happy, but there's this uneasy feeling that I'm having, and like I've had. I'm trying to do a lot of work on myself right now, like a lot of reading and listening to podcasts and praying and like trying to figure out what my next step is, and that that not knowing feeling has almost left me like paralyzed. Here's the thing, there's no reward in this world for U or much of anything. Um. If you take a step back and you're globally at yourself, uh, and you ask yourself, why do I need these things? Why do I even care about these things? Which is where I'm at in my life. I don't care. You know, having style or having being an individual is having an opinion, not afraid to to voice your opinion, and not being like everybody else. And that's that's how I. You know, that's how I what I've learned. And it seems simple, but it's not. You know, a lot of people say, oh, I need to I'm still trying to find myself. I was like, you know, you don't need to find yourself. You're not lost. You need to invent yourself. And the fact that you're worried about, you know, with all the things that you've got and things that you've done in your life, Teddy, I don't even know why you care. What do you care? You know? What do you care if you have a podcast? What do you care if you're you know, because you know, you're still young enough to have ambitions, but you can't let ambitions overshadow what you've already got. So you know, there's a movie called called Keen lar Ago and there's a conversation between Bogard. If Bogard and uh, what's his name Edvar g Robinson and Evor g Robinson is a gangster. And he goes he says, he goes, yeah, he goes, I I always just get what I want. And then Bogard goes, well, have you ever got have you what is it you want? He goes, well, I want more? And he goes and then Bogart goes, well have you have you ever gotten more? And he goes, no, I guess I haven't. He goes, how do you know? How how are you gonna know when you get enough? He goes, well, I'll never get enough. And so it's like a vicious cycle. You know, whoever wrote Key Largo, you know, back in the fifties, I knew what we're talking about already. You know, already had experience to what we're talking about now. Uh is that you know, there's there's no reward for uh for oneting more. I mean, it's just it's just a place marker. You know. In your own mind, you're like, oh, I've got to do this, and I've got to ask you that, No, you don't. Because if you and I were standing in the backyard at my house and he took a picture from outer space at Bloomington, they wouldn't see us. So my point is is that at the end of the day, we're only on this earth for a small amount I mean minuscule amount of time, and to waste your time worried about where what comes you know, what comes next. Just let what comes next come next. It will come, you know, it'll show up. And you've got to be small even as a young guy. How did you persevere after like a rejection? I never talked about that. I h teddy you know me. You know, somebody tells me something like that. I don't give you. You know, I never cared what my parents thought of me. I never cared about what the teachers and school thought about From the beginning of my life, I've never really cared what people thought. And I truly A lot of people say that, but I truly don't. I mean sometimes I didn't. This is not fair. Sometimes I get annoyed by what people think. But at the end of the day, I just I'll just say this, I don't know why you're so thinking about me all the time, because I never think of you. Well. On that that we have to take a little break, but we'll come back and talk about family. And some other things we need to dig into. So these are the family related questions, which I already of the answer to this first one, obviously, who's your favorite child? I don't And that's not a fair question. I know, I know that you're gonna thank you. I think kids have you five kids? Uh, kids that make an effort. And I'm just talking globally. I'm not talking about about us, our family, but just globally, kids that make an effort to stay in contact with their parents, which I did not. I did not, and that's one thing I wish I would have done, but I didn't do it. The kids who stay in contact with their parents come into favor, and they don't always stay there. But you know, I look at all five of you kids, and I I am proud of all five of your kids. And so now you know, like you know your sister, uh, Justice, I probably talked to her more than any of the other kids. But because she you know, she calls, and you know she has Dodo and I love talking to Dodo. I'm texting her right now. Kiss up, just not kissing. It's called having humility and uh and uh, like I call my dad now he's eighty nine, I called Grandpa all the time. I'm making a point to call him at least three times a week. Well, he's really good about reaching out too. He texted me all the time every holiday and he like he's like it's a Wednesday, he'll send me a Bible Verse, like he's really good about keeping in contact too. Well, he you know, I think that's that that I've learned from that, And I think that's that I wish I would have known that when I was your age, because he knows there's only he's only got. You know, when you're a nine years old, you know, you don't have more more days in front of the horse than behind the horse. So he's the only guy that he's racing to the end, and he wants to make sure that he stays in contact and that he that he is remembered in a certain way, and and that he can pass on any help that he that he could possibly give you. And so you know, I make sure that I call bad at least three times a week about no matter where, no matter where I'm at. Yeah, that's good. And you're also good at talking on the phone, which not everybody is. It's not my best. That's a problem for me because if I am dealing, we'll talk about girls for a second. If I talked to a girl on the phone and she can't phone talk, and I don't really want to go out like that. It's girl cave and talking and she's going to go out and gonna have to talking phone because you know, I'm not going to go see here. So yeah, everybody keeps doing, oh is he gonna? Would he ever moved to l A? I'm like, Uh, it's hard enough to get you to come visit in l A. No, I don't. I don't like. I mean, that's something I don't like l A. But I just don't like the culture out there, and I don't like. I know some people love it and I understand it. I appreciate it, but for me, it's just not for me. It's uh, it's uh, it's a dream killing town. Ah. You know, so many kids go out there with big dreams and and and work real hard and and nothing comes of it, you know, and some succeed and some don't. Success walks hand in hand with failure down Hollywood. Yeah, that's true. And it comes and goes very quickly. Yep. It does what quality and all of your kids. I mean, just in general, what quality and your kids make you most proud, Like something that you know about all of us that we all have. What would you say it is? Um, I think that what makes me the most proud of the kids, all of them, is when you guys stand up for yourself and not allow to be manipulated or pushed around or you know. HUD's the best example. You know. He came home he was little and said, kids are picking on me, And I said, well, you gotta do something about it. So he learned how to fight and box and and talk. I mean, Hud is a good talker. You know, he can really talk and he can talk himself out of a mess or else he can not talk himself. He has choices. You can need to punch you in the face and not worry about it, or he can he can talk his way out of it. Uh. And that is handy, you know when you start, uh, you know, getting into the world of working. Oh though, I don't you know, I don't know. I was like, I don't know, I don't know about punching, But I guess in a a sense of being able to stand up for yourself and having the confidence to know that you can protect well. When I say when I say punching, well, in his case, you know he'll punch you. That's why I was like, this is a lot of a dicey. Well, it's not dicey. It's just like you know, in the world that he lives in, it's acceptably you know, he's part of that world. You know, when you're twenty five years old and you're going to nightclubs and before the COVID, you know, when you're going to nightclubs and you're doing this, you know you're you're looking for trouble. Nothing good happens in this world past midnight. Always it's time to come home. It's midnight. Now it's gonna start getting dirty. So and I know because I grew up playing in nightclubs. You know, I'm a barroom singer. That's how I started out. I sang in bars and since I was thirteen years old, and I see what happens to people after midnight. They fucking nutch. Well, you know also why the reason I'm crazy about being late is from you, Right, Do you remember the story that has scarred me for life on why I'm always on time? No? So we were in Hilton Head and I got my back. In these days, we could just ride our bikes to you know wherever and say we're gonna be back at a certain time, so I would left the house. I was like probably twelve, and I said I'm gonna go to the barn for a couple of hours. And I didn't have any concept of time or wear a watch or check the time or anything like that. And I remember, probably like ten hours later, I saw you like peeling into the barn and I was like, oh no, and you just gave me the look and like put your hand like come here, and I got off the pony, like ran to the car. You didn't speak to me the whole way home we got there. I don't know if i'lting allowed to mention who was at the dinner table, but at the time they were like a very big celebrity couple. And you took away my birthday. That doesn't sound like me, Yes you did. You took away my birthday and you said it in front of everybody. Ah that I but you know what, it's equality. I really love about myself, But I still wish that you hadn't taken away my birthday that time. Well, I don't know if you know it, Titty, but you can't really take away somebody's birthday. And I hate to spoil it for your listeners and you, but it's not an easter bunny. Well you think you could? Um, how would you describe me in three words? Ah? I love you? No characteristics? Uh? Well, I'm glad you took the compliment. So well, well, I think you know what you know. I love you too, daddy. Um, don't you have to get back with me on that? All right? So now, uh, these ones you're really gonna love. But we have to ask a couple of Real Housewives questions. So let's take a little break and then we'll come back and ask those. Now we're back, is gonna be your favorite part of the episode? Dad, I can feel it already. Are you glad that I'm no longer a part of Real Housewives? Yes? I am terribly excited and happy that you are no longer part of Real Housewives. I never liked that you're on Real Housewives. I tried to be supportive, so I watched, but I can assure you I don't watch anymore. Um. I think that it's great and I think that some of those women on the show are fantastic and ah, but I don't like people to know where I'm at. I don't like people to know what I'm doing. I like to have privacy. That's why I stick around. You know my properties, and don't go anywhere I don't want to be part of of ah, you know where everybody knows everything about everybody. I don't like it, and I don't know how you stood it. And I was glad that you were enjoying it when you were doing it, but I'm glad you're not on it. Do you have a favorite housewife? This isn't a loaded question, this is just do you have one? It's a loaded question, but no. But I do respect all of these girls are doing and even the ones that you didn't like. You know, there's a certain like, Wow, you enjoy putting your life out. What people can look at it, ridicule it, judge it unfairly, and you don't seem to mind, so that there's a certain strength in that. I think that I would not want to develop or be part of. And what I don't need. I don't even like doing interviews, I know, which is why I'm shocked that you're here, and then what do you think, Petty, I'm only here because you're I'm only here because you're my daughter. If you were my daughter, you know, anybody else call me and asked me to be honest podcast and you know what the answer is, no, I know. And when I asked you, I really asked you kind of in a laughing way. And I remember Cruise was in the car with me when I asked and I got off the phone, and you know, Cruise like just gets things. I don't know how at his age, but he looks at me and he goes, you didn't think your dad would say yes, did you? And I said I didn't and he goes, well, people loves you, and he said yeah because he wants to be there for you. And I was like, oh, I like cheer it up. I was like, you're right, Cruise. So I am really grateful for you taking the time to do this with me. This is exactly right. Yeah, So I am grateful and uh, the Final Housewives questions so we can move on from that and officially move on from that part forever. Um, do you what did you think of Kyle and my friendship? I don't know why This is such a popular question, but I guess a lot of people either loved it or had a lot to say about it. What do you think about it? I would say that, quite honestly, people who comment on your friendships none of your business. Why can't tell a little bit more you and me? It's just none of your business? And uh, you know what a good Why don't you be a good neighbor? And here's I'll tell anybody that's listening what a good neighbor is. Do you mind your business? All my mind business will get along just fine. And if you need help, you can call on me and if I can mend helping, and I will, but only if I can. I'm not going to get involved in your drama if I can't be helpful. So why don't we all just be good neighbors? Can mind our own bucking business. Yep, So write that down, guys, get a pen and paper. Next time you want to be keyboard warriors, go for it. Um. So the final topic that of course people have a million questions on is music. So I'm just gonna do some rapid fire dream collaboration. If you could record something with any other musician, who would it be well, he's dead, but it would be what he got through. Wow, biggest celebrity or however you want to say, artists, friends that you have, like a mentor even hate mentioned in his name. But just dude, it's just us, Dad. Yeah, all right, why don't you just answer it? Is it? Bruce Springsteen? Yeah, that's what I thought. UM, first concert you ever went to? UM nineteen sixty seven and I went to see Steppenwolf and The Beach Board the Beach Boys. Um, When will you be releasing more music soon? I'm we're in the middle, not in the middle of We're almost done with the documentary and an album called The Good Samaritan Tour in nineteen. In the year two thousands, I had just completed the big worldwide tour and was very successful, and I wanted to get back to the audience. So I decided me in the Lane to head inspect and two young musicians, and we went and played on street corners all across America for free at noon. I stole the idea from what he got to used to go play in the fields for the workers in the thirties, and he would just show up and sing to them while they were working. So people don't work in the fields thing, or they do, but not the majority of people. Uh. Farming was like the biggest way of making a living back then, but now in two thousand, everybody worked in big buildings. So we would go downtown unannounced, set up and play for free during people's lunch breaks. And we started out in I think, uh now maybe Philadelphia, boss, I can't remember, uh and unannounced and eight hundred people showed up. They went, oh, look at John Mellencamp. John Mellencamp playing on the street crent like a street musician. And then by the time that we got Chicago, uh in, the internet had just started in two thousand, cell phones were just starting to get popular. I set it up in Chicago at Daily Plaza and we had twenty thousand people show up. Well, we made a documentary about to get it. We called it to get Samarritan to it, because when did you realize you could start using your voice for social issues. I never really looked at it like that. I always just kind of thought that I would write about things that I was interested in, and its people interpreted what I was writing as social issues, then so be it. But once again, I'll repeat myself because I still to this day I have to say that, m M. You know these songs I've had over four hundred songs published, they're not about me. You can't write four songs about a guy who don't leave the house and just paish. It's not that interesting. It's just songs are meant to entertain people. They're not about you. Know. Of course, you know there's some songs that I've written that I have some of me in it. But like I said, I just wrote a song called I Always Lie to Strangers and I played it for a couple of people, like, well, they are you telling me the truth? And it was just like, it's a song. It's meant to entertain you, it's meant to make you think, it's meant to make you dance. Whatever the song is, you know, it's not about me all the time. So do you think that what makes you a great songwriter? Than is that just having a vivid imagination and being creative or what do you think it is? I don't consider myself a great songwriter. I consider myself struggling songwriter because writing songs is always a struggle. It's it's hard, it's harder than people think, I mean, you can write, and I think anybody can become a songwriter. But there's a difference between writing a song and writing a really good song. And a really good song doesn't necessarily mean that it's popular. It just means that it's a really good song. I mean, Mike Elvis Gus Tella wrote a song called almost Blue, and I heard that and I thought that I'm glitting. I can never write a song that's good. You know, Blue is so good, so good. You know, Dylan has written songs, and it's kind of like, you know, when I first started out. I'm just making a record down in Miami at a place called I can rename the studio anymore. But the Eagles were in the studio next to me making your record, and they were recording an album called Hotel California, which became huge success. And I used to walk by their session and I could hear Hotel California, and then I walked back into my session. In my ear, I need to love her, and I like the way ahead of me. You know, I'm writing that little song here, and these guys are writing a song called Oto California and Life in the Past Lane, which both became tremendously big kids pus God and that was like a great record, and I was making a record. You know, well, I still I still like that song for the record. Do you have a most embarrassing story? Uh, you know, I don't get embarrassed very easy. Well, I have the most embarrassing story that involves you. Do you remember when you were on tour with Bob Dylan and I didn't know that, Like you give him fist pumps, like that's how he says hi, And I went, You introduced me to him, and he like when it put his hand out to fist pump me and I shook his paw. Well, I'm sure knowing Bob and I like Bob, and Bob blacks me when we get along with it. I'm sure that he gets that quite a bit. It's not knowing how to react to him, because you know, of all of my generation, you know, he is you know, he is considered and he is the best songwriter the whole rock and roll folk generation. You know that Paton was handed from what he got through you to Bob, and then Bob took it and made more out of it than what he could have ever dreamed. Bob is a true artist. I bet you right now Bob is in California where he lives on Point whatever that place is. I bet he's making something right now. Yeah, well you're always making something too. What do you think in your lifetime you're the most proud of h I don't know. I don't really. I mean, I don't understand this word pride. Yeah, and I don't make people have asked me this question before. I don't really understand the question pride. I never I never do anything to be proud. I only do it to do the work. You know, if it turns out people like it, great. But you know, I'm always onto the next thing. I'm always you know, I'm I'm always onto the next thing. I don't take time. I remember when I had my first number one record. I was married to your mom, and uh, they called me and said, John, your records number one, your album's number one, and your singles number one. And I walked out on the porch at you know where we lived, and I lived up a cigarette and I went and that was it. Do you think that we're all like put on this earth for a purpose, and like yours was to do this or do you think, do you believe in that or now? People have free will to do whatever they want. And I don't believe in predestination. I don't believe in there's only one person in this world for me to love. I don't believe any of that stuff. I believe in a lot of the first sight, and I believe that that that can happen. But you know, no, I don't think there was a reason. Everybody has free choice, which makes it different than animals. They have free choice to become an invent who we are and who we want to be. And it's I think it's only fair to also say that you have to remember there's really no legacy in this world. People to play for the legacy they keep, you know, particularly people my age, so worried about the legacy, and I think to myself, there's no legacy. What are you talking about. You know, you might have a song that you'll remember that people will remember, but they won't remember you doing it. They'll just remember this song, and then that song will go away after a few generations, and then I'll never remember. My great great grandpa I don't remember, and he came here from Germany. He made quite a track you know, came here from Germany, married a black woman and they didn't speak the same life, which but they coexisted together. But I don't know, I don't you know. That's about all I know by that's his legacy. It's all I can say it in two sentences, and that's my family. I can ask you, do you know who Benny Goodman is? Teddy and I don't. Okay, Well, Benny Goodman was like a big band leader, and he was as big as the Beatles for his time period, and that was just a few generations ago. And you don't know any Goodman is. You can't sing one song or I'm one melody if any Goodman play, he was huge. Oh nation, the nation was standing. And to Benny Goodman, thank you for the visual. Well, speaking of humming one song, I have one final request, and no it's not to sing. Jack and Diane are hurt so good. But my favorite memories of my entire life with you, and you know this is when we would be driving in the car and you'd sing me paper Moon. We sing one line of it, say it's only a paper moon, bucome over a cardboard tea, but it wouldn't be make body, you body, you didn't me? There you go. Oh, I love your dad. Thank you so much for coming on. I really really appreciate it. And if you guys have any questions for us, let us know, send them into Teddy Teapot and make sure you keep tuning in. Thank you for listening. Hey, Teddy, hold on for one second. I got one statement. Anybody who's listening, I don't really care what you're saying, so don't bother writing in and being negative because it's falling on death peers. Yeah, I second that. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to Teddy Teapot on I Hear Radio or wherever you listen to podcasts

This is Teddy Teapot with Teddy Mellencamp. So you guys, welcome to this week's Teddy Teapod. I have a very special guest that I, to be perfectly honest, I never thought would join me, and that is my father, John Mellencamp. Hi Dad, Hi kids? What's going on? So? Um? I just have to first put this out here. Any of the questions that I'm about to be asking are from Teddy te Pod and Instagram, So anything I asked can't and won't be used against me. Okay, okay, so Dad, what area? I'll let it be uh A guest? Yeah? Yeah, just normally do don't use my excitable boys, No, don't, don't don't use your interview boys. So let's just talk. Okay, fine, fine, but then you can't get wrapped at me. If I'm you know, asking something that annoys you, I just won't answer. Simple okay, fine? What kisses you off the most? Huh? What kisses you off the most? Um ingratitude? I? Uh? You know this. I don't like to uh. I like to do things for people, but I don't like them when they started expecting me to do things for them, and then you know, that my moods are always pissed off or mad. So I'm either in the state of being piste off or mad, and then maybe something a little higher than that. I don't know. I would say it's piste off mad or you're telling jokes and stories, which is my favorite thing about you telling what kind of stories? You tell the best stories? Always, I'm a songwriter. I'm supposed to tell stories. That people don't stand is that songs are not about me, their stories. Like I just wrote a song called I Always Like as Strangers and everybody that I played it for go? Is that true? You really do that? I went, God, damn it. It's the song. It's to entertain people. What is the favorite song you've ever written in your life. I haven't written that song yet. I'm still searching for that song. Do you have a favorite song to perform? No, not particularly, uh. I know that there's songs that the audience like need to perform, But as you know, we're not performing right now because of this COVID and so all uh, all live artists are kind of sideline right now. You know, we can't go out and play. I don't know when we'll be able to go out and play, and it kind of frightens me because that's all I know how to do is go out and play. Well, that's what I was going to ask, like during this time, which I think, no matter what business you're in, you know, people are going through so much chain and change, and some people are using that to grow, and some people are using that because they're in real pain and they don't know what to do right now in the midst of all of this. What's your best advice and what keeps you going? I think that I think that I try to and I know you won't believe this, but I try to to take this moment and learn something. Ah, every day by making something, you know, I paint every day if I'm not paying meaning I'm writing a song. So I'm always in the motion of creation. Uh, and that keeps my mind active. I think what I've discovered during the pandemic is that my life has not changed one iota except I can't go out and play and I can't go in the recording studio. But I'm a hermit and you know that. And but the difference is I choose to live this way. Uh. But when you're forced to live this way, it's a different story. So the idea that we have to do something, uh, you know, is annoying to me that I'm not doing anything really that different. I'm just not traveling as much and I'm not playing, and I'm not i can't go in the studio. But other than that, my life has changed very little. So what should people do? What should people do? They should look for the thing that can elevate them, you know in this time period. I'm not saying note because you're always painting or writing. Do you ever think that you'll write a book about your life. I've been asked to since I was in my thirties, and um, I don't know. I don't know who would be interested in reading it, and I know it would be a lot of work. And uh, that's why I'm a songwriter and not a book writer. It's because you know it takes you know, you can write. You can write some songs in five minutes and in some songs take years, but it's not a focused concentration day after that. On the same thing, as you know, my attention span is short also that I do know, and do you think because of this reason, that's how you're able to keep your private life so private? Well I look not dead, God damn private. They just called me and told they just called and told me They're going to run a thing in National Enquire about me, Me and Ryan and Jamie, and you know, I'm so sick of this crap. Well who can Who cares about a sixty nine year old man? Apparently a lot of people, which brings me to my next question, which makes me fully want to dry heave. Everybody wants to know all about your love life. Like, I don't know, I don't get it. So many women wrote in like tell me about the love life? Is he single? What kind of woman does he like? Is he like the older younger woman? Tell her short? I'm like, I am gonna bar for reading these. Yeah, I would imagine it would be kind of uncomfortable for a child to be reading about their parents. A matter of fact, one time, when I was a kid in the sixties, Uh, my mom, as you know, was very attractive, and uh, one of our friends said to my older brother Joe, I'd like to have sex with your mother. And Joe pumps into faith you did. And Joe couldn't beat up anything, but it annoyed him so much that you know this kid would say that about you know, our mom, that he just haul up and hit him just I was standing in your island, what what's happening here? Because it didn't buy you know, I didn't care, but it offended Joe. It didn't bother me, but offended Joe. Well, I don't think it bode too well if I went off hitting people that asked me about you, because give me in a lot of trouble. But what so what what little juicy tidbits can you give on your love life? And I'll block my ears? Uh? None, so you don't have to block there. There's no conversation about that. Alright, alright, fine. On that same token, how do you think that with all of the success that you've had, all of the touring, all of the fans, that you stayed humble and low key during this time. I don't know. Some people don't think don't don't think that about me. I mean, you know, uh, some people have a really bad interpretation of the way that I lived in things that I say because you know, you know, Teddy, I'll say anything to anybody. I'm not afraid to say anything to anybody. And if I have an opinion. I'm not afraid to voice it, and I understand that it's just my opinion, but I feel that it's our responsibility as human beings to voice our opinion and be individuals and not try to fall in with the herd and be like everybody else. Uh, Because you know, I'm quite colorful, and I like that about myself and I like the fact that people who know me understand that. But there are people who don't get it. Do you think that I've become such a no at all because of that? Now? I think you've become such a know at all because you've always been such a know at all. I think you can out of your mother not thinking you knew everything? But dad, who do you call when you need advice? I had lots of sources. You are one of them. I'm just giving myself a little pat on the back right now. I think I'm pretty good at talking you through things. And I would say that you are my first phone call when I'm upset or when i'm proud. Well, you know, and that's why your life gets screwed up asking me. I don't know, but you there's something about you that you know, which I think is your greatest gift, even though you know you say your two biggest things are you know, pissed and mad, is that you have a way of knowing what you need to do in that moment to make somebody feel safe and to feel relaxed. Like I I, no matter what it was like if it was after I had a miscarriage or when I had such bad driving anxiety I like could barely drive to work, you always knew the right thing to say. And I like so grateful to that because I knew that whenever I was having one of my like anxiety attacks, you you could fix it in five minutes. Well. And the reason I was helped that I could be helpful is because I too suffered from driving driving anxiety tagged back in the in the early seventies, before they even had the word, you know, social anxiety or panic disorder. They didn't have any of those words or did they diagnose people with that. The first time I had a huge panic attack, I needed to go to the doctor. So my mom and my grandmother, Grandma law took me up to Annapolis to this specialist. And here was his advice, John, we need to calm down, Like, oh, thanks, I would have been so passed. Well, they you know, they didn't have anything to offer, you know, they just they just did in nineteen seventy seventy seventy one, they didn't have any information to offer, you know, of any help. And I went to a place called Quinco that had a psychologist and psychiatrists, and they were literally no help because they just weren't you know, people weren't having panic disorder particularly uh, you know in nineteen seventy they just they just didn't do that. They didn't know about it. Did they know how to deal with it? When you go to the specialists and the specialist advice is Tom down, Okay, thanks a lot. Yeah, I kind of knew that. Well. I think the biggest thing, and I know you've been so helpful with Slate and me and everything, is also knowing that you're not alone. And I think that the fact that you've been open about it and that you talk about it makes also gives you peace of mind because I know with my anxiety sometimes I think this only happens to me, and nobody could possibly understand what I'm going through in this moment. But when you have somebody that can relate to you and say, you know this happened to me. It helps you. Yeah, And plus you know since nine seventy and that's the overstimulation that lived with the new society. And I suppose all societies when we get so much information. And it wasn't like that when I was a kid, because you know, I had no idea what was going on with me. You know, I had never nobody had ever spoke to me about anxiety. I didn't know. I thought I was dying and it was for years. It was crippling. I'll tell you a quick story. I was us to go ah induct Pete Seeger. You probably don't know who that is, but he's a real famous old folk singer. And he was in the Weavers and he wrote where have all the Flowers Gone? And he wrote if I had Hannah, And I was asked to them to the Kennedy Center, and he was getting the Kennedy Award and I was looking forward to it. And I had talked with Pete and he was, you know, he was an old man, I thought, you know, for me, I was in my thirties and early thirties maybe, And uh so the day of the the day I was supposed to fly to Washington, d C. I couldn't go. I mean I didn't he couldn't go. I couldn't leave the house. And I had to call up. You know, I thought, oh, I'll get over and I'll get over, but I couldn't get over. So I had to call up like when I was supposed to get on the plane and say guys, I can't good And I really, uh looked back on that and thought little loss for me not being able to induct Pete figured into the Kennedy Honors, uh, because I didn't know how to get over myself and to learn how to deal with the anxiety. And you know, like I said, obviously my thirties when it's happened. So I saw Pete and he brought it. You know, Pete ended up playing the fun made before he died, and I talked to him for a minute. He asked me, be goes, what happened that day, you know, thirty years ago or forty years ago, whatever it was. And I told him so he understood. But it's still, you know, I still a kind of regretful that that that that that happ city. I was so bad at one time with anxiety that I could not drive. I couldn't leave the house. Uh. If I had to leave the house, even to go to my parents house, I would time it in time how long I was going to be gone, and how many miles it was, and how long it's gonna take me to get home because home was my safe place. Right, It's crazy, you know you how have you gotten through it? Because it has gotten significantly better. Oh yeah, I'm not. I'm I hardly ever have it. The only time I have it is it is it's I'm if I get into a dark state of mind and all of a sudden I can feel it coming on. And now they have a drug called zan X and whenever I feel that feeling, I just take a half of zann X and it goes away. So they have medicine for this. But you know, I don't encourage anybody taking zanex on a recreational and a red creational way. But uh, you know it's a miracle drug and has been for me because I use it properly, right which and I use it and I use it very rarely. And you also exercise and do things that you love. I mean, I know for me, just moving helps me, being outside, seeing fresh air, and you know, working on things that I care about. Well, there's an old saying, and I used to tell myself this when I was younger, the idol, your idol mind is the devil's playground, and you're going to get yourself in trouble. John sitting around your feeling sorry for yourself. So that's America's number one patch. Time's feeling soccer for themselves. I know, I think I'm going through that a little myself. You know, I'm trying to figure out like my next step in my life, and like my all in business is good, my family is good. We've just moved into this new house. Like I should be feeling so happy, but there's this uneasy feeling that I'm having, and like I've had. I'm trying to do a lot of work on myself right now, like a lot of reading and listening to podcasts and praying and like trying to figure out what my next step is, and that that not knowing feeling has almost left me like paralyzed. Here's the thing, there's no reward in this world for U or much of anything. Um. If you take a step back and you're globally at yourself, uh, and you ask yourself, why do I need these things? Why do I even care about these things? Which is where I'm at in my life. I don't care. You know, having style or having being an individual is having an opinion, not afraid to to voice your opinion, and not being like everybody else. And that's that's how I. You know, that's how I what I've learned. And it seems simple, but it's not. You know, a lot of people say, oh, I need to I'm still trying to find myself. I was like, you know, you don't need to find yourself. You're not lost. You need to invent yourself. And the fact that you're worried about, you know, with all the things that you've got and things that you've done in your life, Teddy, I don't even know why you care. What do you care? You know? What do you care if you have a podcast? What do you care if you're you know, because you know, you're still young enough to have ambitions, but you can't let ambitions overshadow what you've already got. So you know, there's a movie called called Keen lar Ago and there's a conversation between Bogard. If Bogard and uh, what's his name Edvar g Robinson and Evor g Robinson is a gangster. And he goes he says, he goes, yeah, he goes, I I always just get what I want. And then Bogard goes, well, have you ever got have you what is it you want? He goes, well, I want more? And he goes and then Bogart goes, well have you have you ever gotten more? And he goes, no, I guess I haven't. He goes, how do you know? How how are you gonna know when you get enough? He goes, well, I'll never get enough. And so it's like a vicious cycle. You know, whoever wrote Key Largo, you know, back in the fifties, I knew what we're talking about already. You know, already had experience to what we're talking about now. Uh is that you know, there's there's no reward for uh for oneting more. I mean, it's just it's just a place marker. You know. In your own mind, you're like, oh, I've got to do this, and I've got to ask you that, No, you don't. Because if you and I were standing in the backyard at my house and he took a picture from outer space at Bloomington, they wouldn't see us. So my point is is that at the end of the day, we're only on this earth for a small amount I mean minuscule amount of time, and to waste your time worried about where what comes you know, what comes next. Just let what comes next come next. It will come, you know, it'll show up. And you've got to be small even as a young guy. How did you persevere after like a rejection? I never talked about that. I h teddy you know me. You know, somebody tells me something like that. I don't give you. You know, I never cared what my parents thought of me. I never cared about what the teachers and school thought about From the beginning of my life, I've never really cared what people thought. And I truly A lot of people say that, but I truly don't. I mean sometimes I didn't. This is not fair. Sometimes I get annoyed by what people think. But at the end of the day, I just I'll just say this, I don't know why you're so thinking about me all the time, because I never think of you. Well. On that that we have to take a little break, but we'll come back and talk about family. And some other things we need to dig into. So these are the family related questions, which I already of the answer to this first one, obviously, who's your favorite child? I don't And that's not a fair question. I know, I know that you're gonna thank you. I think kids have you five kids? Uh, kids that make an effort. And I'm just talking globally. I'm not talking about about us, our family, but just globally, kids that make an effort to stay in contact with their parents, which I did not. I did not, and that's one thing I wish I would have done, but I didn't do it. The kids who stay in contact with their parents come into favor, and they don't always stay there. But you know, I look at all five of you kids, and I I am proud of all five of your kids. And so now you know, like you know your sister, uh, Justice, I probably talked to her more than any of the other kids. But because she you know, she calls, and you know she has Dodo and I love talking to Dodo. I'm texting her right now. Kiss up, just not kissing. It's called having humility and uh and uh, like I call my dad now he's eighty nine, I called Grandpa all the time. I'm making a point to call him at least three times a week. Well, he's really good about reaching out too. He texted me all the time every holiday and he like he's like it's a Wednesday, he'll send me a Bible Verse, like he's really good about keeping in contact too. Well, he you know, I think that's that that I've learned from that, And I think that's that I wish I would have known that when I was your age, because he knows there's only he's only got. You know, when you're a nine years old, you know, you don't have more more days in front of the horse than behind the horse. So he's the only guy that he's racing to the end, and he wants to make sure that he stays in contact and that he that he is remembered in a certain way, and and that he can pass on any help that he that he could possibly give you. And so you know, I make sure that I call bad at least three times a week about no matter where, no matter where I'm at. Yeah, that's good. And you're also good at talking on the phone, which not everybody is. It's not my best. That's a problem for me because if I am dealing, we'll talk about girls for a second. If I talked to a girl on the phone and she can't phone talk, and I don't really want to go out like that. It's girl cave and talking and she's going to go out and gonna have to talking phone because you know, I'm not going to go see here. So yeah, everybody keeps doing, oh is he gonna? Would he ever moved to l A? I'm like, Uh, it's hard enough to get you to come visit in l A. No, I don't. I don't like. I mean, that's something I don't like l A. But I just don't like the culture out there, and I don't like. I know some people love it and I understand it. I appreciate it, but for me, it's just not for me. It's uh, it's uh, it's a dream killing town. Ah. You know, so many kids go out there with big dreams and and and work real hard and and nothing comes of it, you know, and some succeed and some don't. Success walks hand in hand with failure down Hollywood. Yeah, that's true. And it comes and goes very quickly. Yep. It does what quality and all of your kids. I mean, just in general, what quality and your kids make you most proud, Like something that you know about all of us that we all have. What would you say it is? Um, I think that what makes me the most proud of the kids, all of them, is when you guys stand up for yourself and not allow to be manipulated or pushed around or you know. HUD's the best example. You know. He came home he was little and said, kids are picking on me, And I said, well, you gotta do something about it. So he learned how to fight and box and and talk. I mean, Hud is a good talker. You know, he can really talk and he can talk himself out of a mess or else he can not talk himself. He has choices. You can need to punch you in the face and not worry about it, or he can he can talk his way out of it. Uh. And that is handy, you know when you start, uh, you know, getting into the world of working. Oh though, I don't you know, I don't know. I was like, I don't know, I don't know about punching, But I guess in a a sense of being able to stand up for yourself and having the confidence to know that you can protect well. When I say when I say punching, well, in his case, you know he'll punch you. That's why I was like, this is a lot of a dicey. Well, it's not dicey. It's just like you know, in the world that he lives in, it's acceptably you know, he's part of that world. You know, when you're twenty five years old and you're going to nightclubs and before the COVID, you know, when you're going to nightclubs and you're doing this, you know you're you're looking for trouble. Nothing good happens in this world past midnight. Always it's time to come home. It's midnight. Now it's gonna start getting dirty. So and I know because I grew up playing in nightclubs. You know, I'm a barroom singer. That's how I started out. I sang in bars and since I was thirteen years old, and I see what happens to people after midnight. They fucking nutch. Well, you know also why the reason I'm crazy about being late is from you, Right, Do you remember the story that has scarred me for life on why I'm always on time? No? So we were in Hilton Head and I got my back. In these days, we could just ride our bikes to you know wherever and say we're gonna be back at a certain time, so I would left the house. I was like probably twelve, and I said I'm gonna go to the barn for a couple of hours. And I didn't have any concept of time or wear a watch or check the time or anything like that. And I remember, probably like ten hours later, I saw you like peeling into the barn and I was like, oh no, and you just gave me the look and like put your hand like come here, and I got off the pony, like ran to the car. You didn't speak to me the whole way home we got there. I don't know if i'lting allowed to mention who was at the dinner table, but at the time they were like a very big celebrity couple. And you took away my birthday. That doesn't sound like me, Yes you did. You took away my birthday and you said it in front of everybody. Ah that I but you know what, it's equality. I really love about myself, But I still wish that you hadn't taken away my birthday that time. Well, I don't know if you know it, Titty, but you can't really take away somebody's birthday. And I hate to spoil it for your listeners and you, but it's not an easter bunny. Well you think you could? Um, how would you describe me in three words? Ah? I love you? No characteristics? Uh? Well, I'm glad you took the compliment. So well, well, I think you know what you know. I love you too, daddy. Um, don't you have to get back with me on that? All right? So now, uh, these ones you're really gonna love. But we have to ask a couple of Real Housewives questions. So let's take a little break and then we'll come back and ask those. Now we're back, is gonna be your favorite part of the episode? Dad, I can feel it already. Are you glad that I'm no longer a part of Real Housewives? Yes? I am terribly excited and happy that you are no longer part of Real Housewives. I never liked that you're on Real Housewives. I tried to be supportive, so I watched, but I can assure you I don't watch anymore. Um. I think that it's great and I think that some of those women on the show are fantastic and ah, but I don't like people to know where I'm at. I don't like people to know what I'm doing. I like to have privacy. That's why I stick around. You know my properties, and don't go anywhere I don't want to be part of of ah, you know where everybody knows everything about everybody. I don't like it, and I don't know how you stood it. And I was glad that you were enjoying it when you were doing it, but I'm glad you're not on it. Do you have a favorite housewife? This isn't a loaded question, this is just do you have one? It's a loaded question, but no. But I do respect all of these girls are doing and even the ones that you didn't like. You know, there's a certain like, Wow, you enjoy putting your life out. What people can look at it, ridicule it, judge it unfairly, and you don't seem to mind, so that there's a certain strength in that. I think that I would not want to develop or be part of. And what I don't need. I don't even like doing interviews, I know, which is why I'm shocked that you're here, and then what do you think, Petty, I'm only here because you're I'm only here because you're my daughter. If you were my daughter, you know, anybody else call me and asked me to be honest podcast and you know what the answer is, no, I know. And when I asked you, I really asked you kind of in a laughing way. And I remember Cruise was in the car with me when I asked and I got off the phone, and you know, Cruise like just gets things. I don't know how at his age, but he looks at me and he goes, you didn't think your dad would say yes, did you? And I said I didn't and he goes, well, people loves you, and he said yeah because he wants to be there for you. And I was like, oh, I like cheer it up. I was like, you're right, Cruise. So I am really grateful for you taking the time to do this with me. This is exactly right. Yeah, So I am grateful and uh, the Final Housewives questions so we can move on from that and officially move on from that part forever. Um, do you what did you think of Kyle and my friendship? I don't know why This is such a popular question, but I guess a lot of people either loved it or had a lot to say about it. What do you think about it? I would say that, quite honestly, people who comment on your friendships none of your business. Why can't tell a little bit more you and me? It's just none of your business? And uh, you know what a good Why don't you be a good neighbor? And here's I'll tell anybody that's listening what a good neighbor is. Do you mind your business? All my mind business will get along just fine. And if you need help, you can call on me and if I can mend helping, and I will, but only if I can. I'm not going to get involved in your drama if I can't be helpful. So why don't we all just be good neighbors? Can mind our own bucking business. Yep, So write that down, guys, get a pen and paper. Next time you want to be keyboard warriors, go for it. Um. So the final topic that of course people have a million questions on is music. So I'm just gonna do some rapid fire dream collaboration. If you could record something with any other musician, who would it be well, he's dead, but it would be what he got through. Wow, biggest celebrity or however you want to say, artists, friends that you have, like a mentor even hate mentioned in his name. But just dude, it's just us, Dad. Yeah, all right, why don't you just answer it? Is it? Bruce Springsteen? Yeah, that's what I thought. UM, first concert you ever went to? UM nineteen sixty seven and I went to see Steppenwolf and The Beach Board the Beach Boys. Um, When will you be releasing more music soon? I'm we're in the middle, not in the middle of We're almost done with the documentary and an album called The Good Samaritan Tour in nineteen. In the year two thousands, I had just completed the big worldwide tour and was very successful, and I wanted to get back to the audience. So I decided me in the Lane to head inspect and two young musicians, and we went and played on street corners all across America for free at noon. I stole the idea from what he got to used to go play in the fields for the workers in the thirties, and he would just show up and sing to them while they were working. So people don't work in the fields thing, or they do, but not the majority of people. Uh. Farming was like the biggest way of making a living back then, but now in two thousand, everybody worked in big buildings. So we would go downtown unannounced, set up and play for free during people's lunch breaks. And we started out in I think, uh now maybe Philadelphia, boss, I can't remember, uh and unannounced and eight hundred people showed up. They went, oh, look at John Mellencamp. John Mellencamp playing on the street crent like a street musician. And then by the time that we got Chicago, uh in, the internet had just started in two thousand, cell phones were just starting to get popular. I set it up in Chicago at Daily Plaza and we had twenty thousand people show up. Well, we made a documentary about to get it. We called it to get Samarritan to it, because when did you realize you could start using your voice for social issues. I never really looked at it like that. I always just kind of thought that I would write about things that I was interested in, and its people interpreted what I was writing as social issues, then so be it. But once again, I'll repeat myself because I still to this day I have to say that, m M. You know these songs I've had over four hundred songs published, they're not about me. You can't write four songs about a guy who don't leave the house and just paish. It's not that interesting. It's just songs are meant to entertain people. They're not about you. Know. Of course, you know there's some songs that I've written that I have some of me in it. But like I said, I just wrote a song called I Always Lie to Strangers and I played it for a couple of people, like, well, they are you telling me the truth? And it was just like, it's a song. It's meant to entertain you, it's meant to make you think, it's meant to make you dance. Whatever the song is, you know, it's not about me all the time. So do you think that what makes you a great songwriter? Than is that just having a vivid imagination and being creative or what do you think it is? I don't consider myself a great songwriter. I consider myself struggling songwriter because writing songs is always a struggle. It's it's hard, it's harder than people think, I mean, you can write, and I think anybody can become a songwriter. But there's a difference between writing a song and writing a really good song. And a really good song doesn't necessarily mean that it's popular. It just means that it's a really good song. I mean, Mike Elvis Gus Tella wrote a song called almost Blue, and I heard that and I thought that I'm glitting. I can never write a song that's good. You know, Blue is so good, so good. You know, Dylan has written songs, and it's kind of like, you know, when I first started out. I'm just making a record down in Miami at a place called I can rename the studio anymore. But the Eagles were in the studio next to me making your record, and they were recording an album called Hotel California, which became huge success. And I used to walk by their session and I could hear Hotel California, and then I walked back into my session. In my ear, I need to love her, and I like the way ahead of me. You know, I'm writing that little song here, and these guys are writing a song called Oto California and Life in the Past Lane, which both became tremendously big kids pus God and that was like a great record, and I was making a record. You know, well, I still I still like that song for the record. Do you have a most embarrassing story? Uh, you know, I don't get embarrassed very easy. Well, I have the most embarrassing story that involves you. Do you remember when you were on tour with Bob Dylan and I didn't know that, Like you give him fist pumps, like that's how he says hi, And I went, You introduced me to him, and he like when it put his hand out to fist pump me and I shook his paw. Well, I'm sure knowing Bob and I like Bob, and Bob blacks me when we get along with it. I'm sure that he gets that quite a bit. It's not knowing how to react to him, because you know, of all of my generation, you know, he is you know, he is considered and he is the best songwriter the whole rock and roll folk generation. You know that Paton was handed from what he got through you to Bob, and then Bob took it and made more out of it than what he could have ever dreamed. Bob is a true artist. I bet you right now Bob is in California where he lives on Point whatever that place is. I bet he's making something right now. Yeah, well you're always making something too. What do you think in your lifetime you're the most proud of h I don't know. I don't really. I mean, I don't understand this word pride. Yeah, and I don't make people have asked me this question before. I don't really understand the question pride. I never I never do anything to be proud. I only do it to do the work. You know, if it turns out people like it, great. But you know, I'm always onto the next thing. I'm always you know, I'm I'm always onto the next thing. I don't take time. I remember when I had my first number one record. I was married to your mom, and uh, they called me and said, John, your records number one, your album's number one, and your singles number one. And I walked out on the porch at you know where we lived, and I lived up a cigarette and I went and that was it. Do you think that we're all like put on this earth for a purpose, and like yours was to do this or do you think, do you believe in that or now? People have free will to do whatever they want. And I don't believe in predestination. I don't believe in there's only one person in this world for me to love. I don't believe any of that stuff. I believe in a lot of the first sight, and I believe that that that can happen. But you know, no, I don't think there was a reason. Everybody has free choice, which makes it different than animals. They have free choice to become an invent who we are and who we want to be. And it's I think it's only fair to also say that you have to remember there's really no legacy in this world. People to play for the legacy they keep, you know, particularly people my age, so worried about the legacy, and I think to myself, there's no legacy. What are you talking about. You know, you might have a song that you'll remember that people will remember, but they won't remember you doing it. They'll just remember this song, and then that song will go away after a few generations, and then I'll never remember. My great great grandpa I don't remember, and he came here from Germany. He made quite a track you know, came here from Germany, married a black woman and they didn't speak the same life, which but they coexisted together. But I don't know, I don't you know. That's about all I know by that's his legacy. It's all I can say it in two sentences, and that's my family. I can ask you, do you know who Benny Goodman is? Teddy and I don't. Okay, Well, Benny Goodman was like a big band leader, and he was as big as the Beatles for his time period, and that was just a few generations ago. And you don't know any Goodman is. You can't sing one song or I'm one melody if any Goodman play, he was huge. Oh nation, the nation was standing. And to Benny Goodman, thank you for the visual. Well, speaking of humming one song, I have one final request, and no it's not to sing. Jack and Diane are hurt so good. But my favorite memories of my entire life with you, and you know this is when we would be driving in the car and you'd sing me paper Moon. We sing one line of it, say it's only a paper moon, bucome over a cardboard tea, but it wouldn't be make body, you body, you didn't me? There you go. Oh, I love your dad. Thank you so much for coming on. I really really appreciate it. And if you guys have any questions for us, let us know, send them into Teddy Teapot and make sure you keep tuning in. Thank you for listening. Hey, Teddy, hold on for one second. I got one statement. Anybody who's listening, I don't really care what you're saying, so don't bother writing in and being negative because it's falling on death peers. Yeah, I second that. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to Teddy Teapot on I Hear Radio or wherever you listen to podcasts