Phil Ochs gave up living on April 9, 1976.

[ConsAreLiars]

Tom Paxton's tribute/lament: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_9ldumj03c

Phil Who? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Ochs

His music and message:
His most well known song: "I aint marching anymore" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5pgrKSwFJE
Another: "What are you fighting for?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N93OCCBXGXc
And a reminder:"There But For Fortune" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnD_ZdALLdY

A historical note from the Wiki cited above

"The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975.<92> Ochs planned a final "War Is Over" rally, which was held in New York's Central Park on May 11. More than 100,000 people came to hear Harry Belafonte, Odetta, Pete Seeger and others. Ochs and Joan Baez sang a duet of "There but for Fortune" and he closed with his song "The War Is Over" — finally a true declaration that the war was over.<93>"

Listen: http://www.last.fm/music/Phil+Ochs/_/The+War+Is+Over

Add a duet with John Lennon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BHp6f92QUc

But he was not just one more anti-war folk singer with a guitar, Listen to:
"Outside A Small Circle of Friends" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulTmmTIlM_o
Or "Flower Lady" http://www.last.fm/music/Phil+Ochs/_/Flower+Lady
Or "Bracero" can't find an audio link but here are the lyrics on the best source for Ochs lyrics: http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~trent/ochs/lyrics/bracero.html

And music that no one else ever came close to imagining/creating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnD_ZdALLdY

More: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=phil++ochs&search=Search

And listen to him and his soulmates at: http://www.last.fm/listen/artist/Phil%2BOchs/similarartists

Edit to add: If the music above doesn't make it obvious, he was also a strong voice for justice for blacks, migrants, common workers, and those regarded as poor white trash.

His tombstone should read "He cared too much, more than he could bear."

(edit to add a bit)

[Ken Burch]

1. Thank you for remembering.

The spirit of Phil's music lives on in all who struggle for justice.

I've always liked these words he wrote, in a song that wasn't released on a record until years after his death, on an album with liner notes by Sean Penn(who had wanted to play Phil in a movie for a long time, and it would've been a damn good one if Hollywood had allowed it to be done right):

"When the river of rebellion overflows, I'll be there
When the seed of discontent plants and grows, I'll be there
Watching for the sun through the dark and rainy storm
Searching for the keys to the dungeons old and worn
Let me tell you, I'll be there

When the shadow of the tyrant falls and sweeps across the land
When men would steal from others with paper in their hand
When people search for answers and the answers never come
When their troubles would be over if they thought and fought as one
Let me tell you, I'll be there

Whispering of yesterday has grown into a roar
Winds of freedom blowing out of every distant shore
When the time is ready and the call is loud and clear
Let me tell you, I'll be there

When the thunder of opression roars and crackles, I'll be there
When those who would be free are wearing shackles, I'll be there
For the day is gonna come when they'll throw away their chains
Lift their heads and raise their arms for the struggle that remains
And let me tell you, I'll be there

Whispering of yesterday has turned into a roar
Winds of freedom blowing out of every distant shore
When the time is ready and the call is loud and clear
Let me tell you, I'll be there

When the thunder of opression roars and crackles, I'll be there
When those who would be free are wearing shackles, I'll be there
For the day is gonna come when they'll throw away their chains
Lift their heads and raise their arms for the struggle that remains
And let me tell you
Let me tell you
Let me tell you
Let me tell you, I'll be there"

[girl gone mad]

2. Do you know the story about Ochs and Dylan in the cab?

That one always makes me laugh, but I can't stand Bob Dylan so maybe that's why. Ochs died much too soon, he was an enormously talented writer.

[Ken Burch]

3. Dylan was in a truly bad place in that period('65-'66)

He was taking the wrong kind of drugs(not that there's a right kind, but these were especially bad for his dealings with the rest of the human race)and more or less alienated and/or dissed everybody in the folk scene. In the book "Positively 4th Street", there's a scene in which he's being so cruel to Joan Baez in a restaurant that Joan's sister, Mimi Farina, damn near throws down with him. Shortly after that, while on the tour of the UK documented in "Don't Look Back", Dylan almost died in while riding in a limo with John Lennon and D.A. Pennebaker(who was filming both of them at that moment but then, in contrast to what almost any documentarian would do today, had the decency to turn off the camera).

He dissed Phil in that incident at least in part because Phil had not made the break with either folk or with explicit political writing that Dylan had made by then(a break Phil actually DEFENDED Bob for making), and because Phil had always been one of the ones who'd potentially been a threat to Dylan's popularity.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. I remember . K and R

[blindpig]

5. As good today as then...

Love Me, I'm a Liberal- Phil Ochs

I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every colored boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown out
of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I read New republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I vote for the democratic party
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

[janet118]

12. This is one of my favorite songs . . .

and why, although I believe in a strong progressive agenda, being called a "liberal" always makes me squirm.

[mdmc]

6. solidarity

:patriot:

[annabanana]

7. A true American Voice

On capital punishment:
http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~trent/ochs/lyrics/iron-lady.html

On oppression:
http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~trent/ochs/lyrics/knock-on-the-door.html

On organizing:
http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~trent/ochs/lyrics/thats-what-i-want-to-hear.html

[G_j]

8. but for fortune...

Phil will always be loved and remembered.

[Blue_Tires]

9. thanks for this

k+r

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. Phil, your music lives on n/t

[Shanti Mama]

11. We're dating ourselves...

I loved this man and his music. Just imagine what he'd be doing today.

[Ishoutandscream2]

13. A talented man. Another great singer-songwriter died 25 years ago

last week. Marvin Gaye was shot by his father on April 1, 1984, just one day before his 45th birthday. The album "What's Going On" is one of the finest concept albums you will ever hear. The album gave soul music a social conscience. RIP to both great men, and yes, we are starting to date ourselves. But we should celebrate that we lived in those times of their greatness.

[janet118]

14. Soon after Phil committed suicide . . .

there was a memorial show on television (I think on PBS) with Tim Hardin, Tom Rush, and a bunch of other folkies. Hardin, in particular, did a version of "Pleasures of the Harbor" that was incredible. I haven't seen it since. Does anyone else remember it?

[Smarmie Doofus]

17. I remember it. Jerry Rubin spoke.

As did Phil Och's sister... in whose house he died.

There was also related there,( probably at the concert) something about a recent trip to Africa that Ochs and Rubin and some others had taken on which Phil was mugged and in the process was throttled ( i.e. grabbed around the neck) and in which his voice was at least temproarily damaged.

I think it was suggestd that it had some contributing fator to his generally bad mental state.

[Wilms]

15. .

[enigmatic]

16. I miss you, Phil

Very, very much.

[ConsAreLiars]

18. Thanks to you and all who replied for sharing your appreciations.

There was a very deep compassion in his songs that set his apart from many other voices.

[murdoch]

19. Spanish civil war song

I have a recording of him playing part of an old Spanish Civil war song for which he rewrote the words. I always wondered what the original was. It didn't sound like Viva la quinta brigada (originally Ay Carmela), A las barricadas (originally the Warsawer) etc.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

20. Tragically, invisible hands pulling on his ankles suicided Phil!

Invisible hands that are alive and well today in Uncle Sam's world wide torture camps.
------------------------------------

Please lock me away
And don't allow the day
Here inside, where I hide with my loneliness
I don't care what they say, I won't stay
In a world without love

--"A World Without Love"--Peter and Gordon