John Mellencamp Club Random with Bill Maher

In this unexpectedly reflective Club Random episode, John Mellencamp admits he never listens to his own songs, sometimes forgets he even wrote them, and proudly calls himself "the biggest liar." He talks about growing up in Seymour, Indiana where, as he puts it, there was nothing to do but fight before the conversation widens to Farm Aid's hard realities, the limits of celebrity activism, and his surprisingly warm early encounters with Donald Trump, including a popcorn run at the 1988 Super Bowl. He also talks about his upcoming tour playing the hits some of which he's rarely, or never, performed live. But it's a parting thought that lingers longest: "A writer writes to what he aspires to be, not what he is." Bill's still thinking about that one. Support our Advertisers: -Head to to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CLUBRANDOM. -Protect your car with CarShield. Get 20% off at with code RANDOM -Try Claude for free at -Try Lucy today! Get 20% off your first order at with code CLUBRANDOM

You can listen to John Mellencamp Club Random with Bill Maher online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

John Mellencamp Club Random with Bill Maher is an episode from Club Random with Bill Maher by Club Random.

This episode is 77:53 long.

This episode was published on Feb 23, 2026.

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