2004 Interview- Page 5

MJS- Do you still play guitar?

LK- (opens a book to lyrics of a protest song he wrote when local officials were trying to have the Mountain declared an Environmental hazard in the mid-90’s)

MJS- I’d like to hear that song sometime.

LK- Sheesh…How about right now?

MJS- Let’s hear it.

LK- I don’t need my guitar… I had about 80 guitar students a week 50 years ago.

MJS- Yeah?

LK- But then I gave up on it…
(sings)
All I wanted to do was be an artist
Lord, I gave them my very best.
California’s going to bulldoze me tomorrow
And put my little paintbrush to rest.
Oh, I’ve got a story to tell you
You’ll never listen to one word
Nobody ever listens
To a little hobo bird
I used to hang my head up high
Now I hang my head and blush
I contaminated California
With a handmade paintbrush
I contaminated the bombin’ range
Killed most of the fish in the Salton Sea
So California’s bulldozing
This paintbrush from me

MJS- Wow. That’s great. Thanks.

I notice in different places around the Mountain there’s plants growing out of it.
LK- Yes

MJS- Do you do that on purpose, or do they just grow?

LK- No, they just grow. I let ‘em grow.

MJS- Do you consider them to be part of the Mountain, or…

LK- Well… until they get too big. (Laughs) I had some really big ones up there, and I took them down. But it’s interesting…I’m glad you brought that subject up, because I could probably get some kind of nice little tree planted in their place... but did you notice that one big tree up there, kinda? Up between the “O” and the”N”?

MJS- Yes, I took a picture of that.

LK- If you took a picture of that root over there- that root is big. Because I trimmed it down 4 times in 8 years. And the root is getting bigger and deeper, and someone told me in a hundred years it’ll take the Mountain down, And I said: “No, in a hundred years the roots will hold it up.” So who knows?

MJS – (laughs) We won’t be around in a hundred years.

LK- No.
But I’ll tell you- I’m pressuring the Senate of the United States more than I should, I mean, I’ve got foreign countries just pushin’, and… I know there’s over 14,000 kids emailin’ the Senate- they like it. And I think there’s enough people in the country that they’re going to have to just buckle. People like you who are on the internet and taking pictures help an awful lot.

MJS- I hope so…

I better get going before it gets too dark… find my way back.

LK- Anyway, how soon do you think you’ll be back? I’d like to give you some post cards if you want to give ‘em out to somebody... Come back anytime…

MJS- OK, thanks as usual for your hospitality, we’ll see you soon.