"Revolution Blues" exegesis
Once you set the time frame and hunt down the references, it becomes obvious that this song is at least inspired by Charles Manson and The Family.
"Well, we live in a trailer at the edge of town"
Manson Reference: This is referring to the LA Manson compound in Chatsworth, CA. It was a combination movie ranch for westerns and trailer park. The guy that owned the property was blind, and the Family got use of the place by having three of the girls act as caregivers for the old man and pull his bell rope on occasion
"We got twenty five rifles just to keep the population down."
Manson Reference: The Family, wherever they holed up, was armed to the teeth. They would usually wear sidearms around the compound, and also maintained a small arms locker of rifles and shotguns. Manson had a firing range built out at the Chatsworth location, and the members practiced daily.
"And ten million dune buggies comin' down the mountains."
Manson Reference: This line refers to Manson's belief that after the apocalyptic race war he would precipitate, he and his army would pour out of their underground desert compound in Mad Max-style dune buggies. At both the Chatsworth compound and the Barker Ranch compound in Death Valley, Manson kept a number of dune buggies as the beginning of his irregular mechanized infantry.
Well, I hear that Laurel Canyon is full of famous stars,
But I hate them worse than lepers and I'll kill them in their cars
Manson Reference: Laurel Canyon, in Los Angeles is full of the homes of movie stars. It's located right to the west of the Hollywood Hills, to the east of Beverly Hills. It's also near where movie star Sharon Tate was murdered by The Family. I can actually see the southern end of Laurel Canyon from my office window.