The song "Seven Little Indians" by John Hiatt tells the story of a family of seven Native Americans living in a brick house on Central Avenue. The children, referred to as the "seven little Indians," listen to their father telling stories in the living room. These stories often have an unrealistic and exaggerated perspective. The mother is portrayed as being in the kitchen, while the father captivates his children with tales of brave conquest and their move to Alaska. He claims to have been in Alaska during World War II, putting in telephone lines for the army. He even shows them a picture of a frozen mastodon and brings back mukluks, sealskin gloves, and a beaded collar coat. However, despite the father's colorful stories, it becomes clear that the family is struggling. The father's stories, although entertaining, cannot warm the cold living room. The chill in the house serves as a metaphor for the hardships they face. As time passes, members of the family start to disappear. The oldest child falls ill and vanishes, followed by the father. The mother is left to raise the remaining six children on her own. She does her best to nurture them, but they all share the sense that something ominous is lurking. The children, on reaching adulthood, pursue different paths. Some become housewives, musicians, and insurance salesmen. However, they carry the weight of their father's stories. Each character in their father's tales represents one of the seven little Indians, highlighting their close connection to their father's narrative. The song ends with the narrator, who is likely one of the grown-up children, reflecting on their own experiences. They express a desire for the mukluks, sealskin gloves, and the coat with beads, symbolic of their lost heritage and a longing for their father's stories. The narrator now wants to pass on these stories to their own children, recreating the engaging atmosphere of the past. Overall, "Seven Little Indians" depicts a struggling Native American family marked by the disparity between their father's embellished stories and the reality they face. It touches on themes of loss, cultural identity, storytelling, and the power of family narratives.
