PHIL OCHS, BOB DYLAN, STEVE GOODMAN, DAVID BLUE AND ME.
(John Wesley Harding)

Well at night, he sits alone and he's looking at the stars
Listens to them playing guitars
Him and Phil go back a long long way
They talked about marching and dying all in one day
They played songs together, they sit up past the dawn
I wonder how long this dream will go on.

You know that Bob was there last week as well
Well he's a quiet guy but he's got stories to tell
Our hero sits and listens without asking why
And teaches Bob A minor with a glint in his eye
Bob used it on Hollis Brown, but that was sometime ago
When is this dream gonna stop? Heaven knows

Then our hero picks up his guitar
To play them the only tune he knows
He played it to me once
He said "Wes, it's short, but this is how it goes."
And then he sings
Sings "This is the only thing that really matters
Keeps me going, retains my sanity
The nights I spend alone when there's just
Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Steve Goodman, David Blue and me"

You know David died and Stephen died
But only to the papers that live outside
Last Thursday they were in the room where he sits
The three of them making jokes about the meagre obituaries
Steve and David smiled and they left quite soon
He wonders about that dream as he looks at the stars and the moon

Sometimes he has a party for him and the crew
They turn up on time just 'cos they always do
Phil plays I Ain't Marching, it's his favourite song
And Bob plays the harmonica but he plays it all wrong
And Steve harmonises just like he did with John Prine
David just sits and looks blue all the time

And then the time comes round again
When they all sit and listen to their hero playing
He says "You've heard it all before"
But they like it so they shout "encore!"
And then he sings, it's a dream come true and he sings
"This is the only thing that really matters
Keeps me going, retains my sanity
The nights I spend alone when there's just
Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Steve Goodman, David Blue and me
And me
Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Steve Goodman, David Blue and me."

Notes:
The earliest recorded version of this song (1986) was released on 'Dynablob' (Mod Lang WOW1) in 1996. The version transcribed here is of a live recording in London in November 1988 and can be found on 'It Happened One Night' (Edsel/Demon L-Fiend CD137) released in 1988, and (Rhino R270764) released in 1991.
RP jul07