Phil Ochs

[© tweed]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Ochs

A folk/protest singer of the late 60's-70's.  He killed himself after being mugged if Africa if I remember correctly.

I have some of his music on my comp...if anybody wants it, let me know.

I vote freedom fighter.

[minionofmidas]

I know two Phil Ochs songs. "Spaceman" is horribly didactic and dull.
"The Ballad of Alfred Packer" is great.

[Blue Rectangle]

I know two Phil Ochs songs. "Spaceman" is horribly didactic and dull.
"The Ballad of Alfred Packer" is great.

Yes, but was Alfred Packer and freedom fighter or a horrible person?  I vote freedom fighter, given that he only ate Democrats.

Doc Ock is also a tough call.  As a scientist, I am inclined to believe that he is rather misunderstood.  I think simply labeling him a "horrible person" is too harsh.

[CARLHAYDEN]

I presume you have visited the Cafeteria and the University of Colorado?

[AuH2O]

I had one of his songs, it was great, but I can't seem to find it. It was about him killing his girlfriend, I think, or something like that. Very sarcastic/ironic.

edit: it's 'Outside a Small Circle of Friends' I was thinking of. great song.

[© tweed]

Tape From California

Who's that coming down the road
A sailor from the sea
He looks a lot like me
I'd know him anywhere, had to stare

Feathers at his fingertips
A halo 'round his spine
he must have lost his mind
he should be put away, right away
In the corner of the night
he handed me his waterpipe
His eyes were searching deep inside my head
Here's what he said
Sorry I can't stop and talk now
I'm in kind of a hurry anyhow
But I'll send you a tape from California

New York city has exploded and it's crashed upon my head
I dove beneath the bed
Fighting, biting nails, turning pale
The landlord's at my window
And the burglar's at my door
I can't take it anymore
I guess I'll have to fly, it's worth a try
Someone's banging on the wall
But there's no party to recall
The singer of the shadows of his soul
So he's been told
Sorry I can't stop and talk now
I'm in kind of a hurry anyhow
But I'll send you a tape from California

From the mirror of my mantle to the velvet on my bed
Trapped upon a stolen stage, a Barrymore at best
My rhymes are all repeating, ballads growing blind
Words have turned to water, the women turned to wine

The draft board is debating if they'd like to take my life
I'd sooner take a wife and have raise a child or two
Wouldn't you?
Peace has turned to poison
The flag has blown a fuse
Even courage is confused
And now all the brave are in the grave
Century is bending
have a very happy ending
To the victor go the ashes of the spoil
Seeds in the soil
Sorry I can't stop and talk now
I'm in kind of a hurry anyhow
But I'll send you a tape from California

The flower-power fuller brush man
is farming out his friends
I stabbed him with my stem
And then I tapped his toes with my rose
He crawled around inside himself
Now he's crawling after me
Dropping acid in my tea
He wants to save his soul
rock and roll
One of us must understand
It's not the drug that makes the man
Then a poster of a movie star walked by
He must have been high
Sorry I can't stop and talk now
I'm in kind of a hurry anyhow
But I'll send you a tape from California

Half the world is crazy and the other half is scared
Maddonas do the minuet for the naked millionaires
The anarchists are rising while we're racing for the moon
It doesn't take a seer to see that the scene is coming soon

So who's that coming down the road
A sailor from the sea
He looks a lot like me
I'd know him anywhere
Had to stare
A fire around his fingertips
A song around his spine
He must have found his mind
He should be put away
Anyway
Surrounded by the slaughter
Now I'm boarding at the border
When the echoes of my ecstacy appear
Wish I was here
Sorry I can't stop and talk now
I'm in kind of a hurry anyhow
But I'll send you a tape from California

-------

The guy was really flippin' brilliant.  Too bad he was never appreciated.