Aren't there some nice people around?

Barry Drake began as a singer/songwriter in the 60s, taking to the lecture circuit in the early eighties lecturing on rock and roll. I emailed him via his web site, not knowing if he was the same Barry Drake, asking about the song 'Fallen Star' and got this back by return:

Hi Roger,
....Yes that's me and "Fallen Star" is my song.
....The song has an interesting story.
(The story is in Notes at the end of the lyrics)
....I'll gladly send you an MP3 of the song when I get the time. Keep in touch.
BARRY
PS: I've been in touch with Jim Glover a lot in the past few months and we spend a lot of time talking about Phil. Also my friends Kim & Reggie Harris do a lot of the Phil Ochs tribute nights, put on by Phil's sister, Sonny.
Barry Drake

Barry emailed me an MP3 of the song the next day!
Here's the song:

FALLEN STAR
(Barry Drake)

I was taking my pleasure in a bar I call home
When an old friend appeared at the door
He was filled with bad whisky so he didn't see me
As he stumbled the sawdust filled floor.
He was famous for filling our halls with his songs
'Til the words and the music ran dry
Soon the backstage buffoons and the parasite friends
Chased a new shooting star through the sky.
Falling star you know who you are
You toyed with the notion of failure
Like kids play with bugs in a jar
You wouldn't believe it could happen to you
This time you've fallen too far

Once the news of his comeback was filling the trades
So the critics came loading their guns
Oh I watched how they cursed him, guzzling their drinks
He was finished before he'd begun.
Falling star you know who you are
You were buying a round for our table
When they brought out the feathers and tar
You laughed when I said it could happen to you
You've already fallen too far
Falling asleep at the table
Mumbling your prayers to the floor
Paying the bill we bid you farewell
Quietly slipped out the door

Oh the night quickly passed in an alcohol haze
That fire don't ever burn long
But the lesson I learned in the bar room that night
Still burns in the words of this song
Falling star you know who you are
You toyed with the notion of failure
Like kids play with bugs in a jar
You wouldn't believe it could happen to you
This time you've fallen too far
This time you've fallen too far

Notes
Here is Barry's story of how the song came to be written: "I was hanging out with Phil in The Kettle Of Fish bar on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village in January just before his death. I had heard that Phil was in bad shape but I couldn't believe how bad until I saw him that night. We sat around drinking wine (I suspected that Phil was on something much stronger). He kept ranting on about different subjects until he finally passed out face down on the table at about 2 a.m. in the morning. We paid our tab and left, figuring I'd see him again when he was in better shape and we could talk more.
....I was a big Phil Ochs fan and it bothered me to see him that way. I went back to my house up near Woodstock, NY and over the next three days, wrote "Fallen Star". I probably never intended to sing it but I had to write it anyway. So, it's may be the ONLY song written about Phil's life, not his death.
....Three months later, I was on tour in Chicago when I heard that he died by his own hand. Of course I was saddened and I decided not to sing the song much in public. I didn't want to capitalize on a tragedy, especially since I admired him so much. I eventually decided to record it and release it on my own label."
The song appeared on the album 'Roadsongs' (Catskill Mountain Records) released in 1977.
RP jul07