“House Of Mine”
by Sky Sunlight Saxon and Fire Wall
1986 song
The song "House Of Mine" is a good example of what Sky Saxon and his band Fire Wall were up to in the mid-1980s. There’s a wall of murky fuzz guitar, bright sunny organ, and Sky’s usual back-alley sneer on this two-chord thrasher. And let’s give credit where it’s due: Mars Bonfire’s glowing organ is what gives this otherwise basic rock song its merry hippie feel.
Sky, too, belts out the anthemic lyrics in his usual warm, burned-out way. With its curled edges and loopy vibe, "House Of Mine" isn’t heavy rock, exactly. But its careening hippie swoops give the song a particularly forceful punch.
"House Of Mine" is on the album Destiny's Children, and thus on its French counterpart ...A Groovy Thing. The song appeared in different positions on those LPs: Side B of the former and Side A of the latter.
This is one of Sky’s best songs, embracing all of humanity and inviting us all to his “house of mine”. Especially moving are the bridge that kicks in at about 1:45 when Sky starts urging us to “go home” and the funny and heart-warming revisitation by Sky and a female backup vocalist of Mae West’s “Why don’t you come up and see me some time?” I’d love to have this played at my memorial service.