They're all made out of ticky-tacky

And they all look just the same

Welcome to new subscribers and regular readers! Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds (1962). If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article.
Below, you’ll find my interpretation of the lyrics which are written in italics. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEIC (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1.

(465 words)
In the 1950s in the U.S., the economy was booming and more and more (mostly white) families were able to buy their own homes. This meant that there was a need for more houses. Companies started building houses quickly in the suburbs. These areas were called “tract housing”.

Tract housing (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain)

Malvina Reynolds was a singer and a songwriter. She wrote songs about the environment and about society. This song makes fun of how those neighborhoods were being built. It talks about the houses as “little boxes” that are painted different colors but are really all the same. The song says they are made out of “ticky-tacky,” which means the houses were made from cheap, low-quality materials.

Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky
Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes all the same
There's a pink one and a green 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

The houses weren’t the only things that were the same. The people who lived in them also started acting 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

These people had the same interests and hobbies. A “dry” martini is a drink, usually vodka or gin, with Vermouth added. If you add less Vermouth, it’s called a “dry” martini.
And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry

They raised their children the same. The children had the same experiences growing up.
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school
And the children go to summer camp

The children went to university. At university, they were “put in boxes”, meaning they all followed the same, uniform, four years of education. During their time at university, they didn’t question why they were there or if what they were learning was important.
And then to the university
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same

After university, the children continued the cycle. They got jobs, got married, had children, and moved into their own little boxes.
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…

It's easy to get lazy about thinking for yourself if no one reminds you not to. That's why parents, teachers, and other adults need to help children learn how to think on their own. Then, when those children grow up, they can teach their own children to think for themselves, too.

Aerial view of Daly City's little boxes (tract housing) along Skyline Blvd, from the south, on departure from SFO. (Photo: Dicklyon, Wikimedia Commons)

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Leaving a comment is a good way to practice your writing skills.

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Vocabulary

suburbs 郊外
neighborhoods 付近
ticky-tacky 特に郊外の建築物に使用される劣悪または安価な材料。
vermouth ベルモット
uniform 同じ

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I believe that education should be free.

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All of the articles about the songs will remain free for students to use. (We are all students, are we not?) However, if you find these articles useful and are in a position to make a small (or large) donation, I would be deeply grateful.

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