(Abbie
Hoffman pic by Jill Goodkind)
To
continue along those lines -- “Schmoozin’ with the Stars” -- here’s a pic of us
with Abbie Hoffman, political and social activist, co-founder of the Yippies. I
always liked Abbie because he a young revolutionary who wanted to change
America back in the turbulent sixties . He and Jerry Rubin both gained fame as
the poster children of The Revolution. Of course, as time progressed, Hoffman
kept up the idealism and political convictions along with actions, while Rubin
did the practical thing and figured out how to succeed in business. . .
So
Abbie came to the village in the eighties (he was living in Pennsylvania?) to
get a pet project going, a radio show called “Radio Free USA” for which he
wanted the Squares to work on a theme song, with him. We met in a pizza place
on the corner of MacDougal and West Third, and we also met at my apartment, I
believe. Abbie was really likable, and it was sad when he died in New Hope,
Pennsylvania (ironically) of a suicide in 1989, at the age of 52.
At any
rate, I remember how the lyric started out: “You
say there’s no hope left and you’ve gotta go straight. . . “ and then the
build into the chorus: “It’s time to
start a master plan (cool lick a la the Stones’ “Satisfaction” leading up to
the tag chorus) Radio Free U S A. . . “
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