Saturday, October 23, 2010

The Huckster

When I was a kid, a pickup truck would drive through the streets in the Summer selling produce. The Huckster. The driver would announce his stock over a scratchy megaphone "SWEET CORN! I GOT SWEET CORN!... FRESH JERSEY TOMATOES!..."

It was a guaranteed fixture every Summer. And the suburban neighborhood where we lived didn't act like it was an oddity at all. A dusty old farmer selling from an old run-down truck. And we bought.

Yesterday I heard someone on a megaphone. I couldn't make out the words. I at first thought It's related to the elections or something. Then I thought Is there some kind of emergency? Like the old sci fi movies where the police would roll down the streets announcing the Martians were coming. Nope - it was a huckster. Can't tell you how huge my smile was. It was crazy. I haven't heard a voice like that in a long long time. And the kicker - he yelled "CANDY APPLES! A DOLLAR! CANDY APPLES!"

He was at the end of the block and drove through at a quick pace. And he never came up our street.

So I figured a great song by Chris Smither was in order.

Click below:

Image by lovbrkthru.

4 comments:

Hopsy the beer drinking clown said...

I GOT RED BEANS!!! lol, this guy writes a good song and tells a good story, how did you ever find out about him Rot??

Rot said...

There's a public radio station WXPN that plays a lot of his songs. We always called the song The Huckster Song...never knew it was called No Love Today.

I've always dug the man's voice and stile...

NoahFentz said...

WOW! You brought back memories....we had the same thing when we were living in Utica, NY. The cart was actually pulled by a horse and he yelled something but could never understand him. Us kids just wanted to see the horse we really didnt care what vegetables/fruit he had.

Very cool...

Old Hag said...

Thanks for this. First time I've heard him and I do like his sound...