Home is where Mellencamp hangs his hat

(This column originally appeared in The Republic, February 1, 2004)

Jerry Battiste

A sign at the edge of town has me wondering about something: Has John Mellencamp moved back home to Seymour?

I noticed a sign on U.S. 50 touting Seymour as the "Home of John Mellencamp."

Last I heard Mellencamp was living on a big spread outside Bloomington.

Granted Seymour is his hometown; the "smalltown" Mellencamp sang about is certainly Seymour, and his love for the area is reflected in his many contributions to arts in the community.

But he doesn't actually live here.

A friend of mine said "It's just a sign, what difference does it make?"

He has a point, surely, but so do I. Let me reiterate: John Mellencamp doesn't actually live in Seymour. So why does the sign state that he does?

I'm sure whoever put the signs up thought this was a good idea. Jackson County receives thousands of visitors every year who come to the area because of its connection to Mellencamp. Why not play that aspect of the area up?

But we also have an obligation to these out-of-town visitors to treat them fairly and honestly. Let's not sully Mellencamp's name by creating an image that isn't quite true.

Besides, I believe there is no need to stretch the truth when it comes to Mellencamp's connection to the city.

All the locals know the man; who he is, where he came from and what he has done is part of the fabric of local history.

But Mellencamp doesn't live here anymore. He moved away. Not too far, just a little west, about 40 miles as the crow flies.

He still visits the community, has a few relatives here and speaks very highly of Seymour when the subject comes up publicly.

But that doesn't change the fact he does not live here anymore.

Unfair to fans

I think it's unfair to all the fans who visit Jackson County to make them believe something that is not true.

And do we really want devoted fans wandering the back roads aimlessly searching for his secret mansion?

I can imagine the questions from fans who traveled halfway around the world just to see the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts Mellencamp exhibit.

They will want to know when he moved back, where his new house is and how long it takes to get there. Oh, and can anyone draw a map in German?

No, I think it makes much more sense to tout Seymour as Mellencamp's hometown … the place where he learned as a child what kind of man he wanted to be.

Seymour is the city that gave birth to a superstar, not the place that star came to rest, but there is no shame in that.

There is a sense of pride to be felt for being the origin, the starting point if you will, for a great and glorious journey.

When Mellencamp is asked where he discovered his sense of family pride; where he learned the value of a hard day's labor; and the price to be paid for maintaining a family farm, he can answer truthfully: Seymour.

But when someone asks him where he lives, what else can he say but Bloomington?

No, claiming to be the hometown of John Mellencamp should be enough of a feather in anyone's cap.

Because claiming Seymour as his home is just not the truth.