ADD: Songs by Phil Ochs

Subject: Lyr Add: TALKING AIRPLANE DISASTER (Phil Ochs)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Dec 17 - 11:21 AM

Someone mentioned this in another thread, and since we didn't already have it, I figured I ought to post it somewhere--like here.


TALKING AIRPLANE DISASTER
As recorded by Phil Ochs on "The Early Years" (2006).

Well, once I heard some people say:
"If you gotta travel there's just one way.
You gotta leave the ground, gotta go through the air,
Gotta find a pilot and pay your fare.
You gotta sail through the sky."*
In other words, you gotta fly.

Yes, statistics show it's the way to go.
Well, it's safer than your car, you know.
Yes, it's safer than your home, safer than your street,
About the safest place to put your feet.
Statistics don't lie,
But statistics don't die either.

Well, once I heard Bob Dylan say:
"You gotta take a train; it's the only way.
Well, nothing ever happens to trains at all."
There was just one accident he could recall:
A plane crashed into it.
People flyin' in all directions then.

So one day when the sky was blue,
I boarded a plane and off we flew.
Well, I looked out the window, insurance in my hand,
Just like Columbus searchin' for land,
Swearin' I'd never fly again,
Just like the last time.

And then one o' them stewardesses ambled by,
And suddenly I wasn't afraid to die.
Well, she brought me coffee, pillows and tea,
Said: "You're safe as you could be."
She said: "There's nothin' to worry about."
Then she flew out the door somebody forgot to close right.

Well, the plane kept goin' higher an' higher.
I could swear both the wings were on fire,
So I opened up the cockpit door.
The pilot was a-layin' on the floor
With the other stewardess.
Said: "Fly now an' pay later."

Then the plane dropped down about a mile or two.
She lurched about; I swore I was through.
Well, my stomach was heavin'; it was tied in a knot.
A little paper bag was all I got.
That's the bag I'm in.
Pilot said we hit an air pocket.
Must 'a' been a pocket with an awful big hole in it.

Well, at last the trip was near the end.
The airport was comin' around the bend,
But all my anxious eyes could see
Was a thousand planes in the vicinity.
They was landin' an' leavin' an' wavin' at each other,
Wing to wing and brother to brother.
Well, the pilot was swearin' an' swervin' around,
But he said: "Don't worry, gang; we have radar somewhere on the ground."
I wasn't worried.
I was crawlin' up the aisle screamin': "Jesus, save!"

Well, the trip didn't do me too much harm,
But I did spend a year on the happy farm.
Well, they couldn't understand why I kissed the ground,
Chewed the concrete, swallowed it down.
Sure tasted good,
Like LaGuardia dirt should.


* I couldn't tell where the quote was supposed to end, so I arbitrarily put the quotation mark here.--JD

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs by Phil Ochs
From: GUEST,threelegsoman
Date: 15 Aug 16 - 09:12 PM

Some of the songs you are after are included in my playlist of Phil Ochs song which include lyrics and chords:


Phil Ochs playlist

Subject: ADD: Crucifixion (Phil Ochs)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Aug 16 - 11:46 PM

I first heard the Phil Ochs song "Crucifixion" on a 1967 recording by Glenn Yarbrough. YOu can hear it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scyPGzTSnrY

I found the lyrics at a Website that has a very nice collection of Phil Ochs lyrics:

https://sites.google.com/site/philipdavidochs/philochs-discography

---

CRUCIFIXION

(Words and Music by Phil Ochs)

And the night comes again to the circle studded sky
The stars settle slowly, in loneliness they lie
'Til the universe explodes as a falling star is raised
The planets are paralyzed, the mountains are amazed
But they all glow brighter from the brilliance of the blaze
With the speed of insanity, then he dies

In the green fields of turning, a baby is born
His cries crease the wind and mingle with the morn
An assault upon the order, the changing of the guard
Chosen for a challenge that is hopelessly hard
And the only single sign is the sighing of the stars
But to the silence of distance they're sworn

Chorus:
So dance, dance, dance, teach us to be true
Come dance, dance, dance, 'cause we love you

Images of innocence charge him to go on
But the decadence of history is looking for a pawn
To a nightmare of knowledge he opens up the gate
A blinding revelation is served upon his plate
That beneath the greatest love is a hurricane of hate
And God help the critic of the dawn

So he stands on the sea, and he shouts to the shore
But the louder that he screams, the longer he's ignored
For the wine of oblivion is drunk to the dregs
And the merchants of the masses almost have to be begged
'Til the giant is aware that someone's pulling at his leg
And someone is tapping at the door

Chorus

Then his message gathers meaning and it spreads across the land
The rewarding of the fame is the following of the man
But ignorance is everywhere and people have their way
And success is an enemy to the losers of the day
In the shadows of the churches who knows what they pray
And blood is the language of the band

The Spanish bulls are beaten, the crowd is soon beguiled
The matador is beautiful, a symphony of style
Excitement is ecstatic, passion places bets
Gracefully he bows to ovations that he gets
But the hands that are applauding are slippery with sweat
And saliva is falling from their smiles

Chorus

Then the overflow of life is crushed into a liar
The gentle soul is ripped apart and tossed into the fire
First a smile of rejection at the nearness of the night
Truth becomes a tragedy limping from the light
The heavens are horrified, they stagger from the sight
And the cross is trembling with desire

They say they can't believe it, "It's a sacreligious shame
Now, who would want to hurt such a hero of the game
But you know I predicted it, I knew he had to fall
How did it happen? I hope his suffering was small
Tell me every detail, I've got to know it all
And do you have a picture of the pain?"

Chorus

Time takes her toll and the memory fades
But his glory is growing in the magic that he made
Reality is ruined, there is nothing more to fear
The drama is distorted into what they want to hear
Swimming in their sorrow in the twisting of a tear
As they wait for the new thrill parade

The eyes of the rebel have been branded by the blind
To the safety of sterility the threat has been refined
The child was created, to the slaughter house he's led
So good to be alive when the eulogies are read
The climax of emotion, the worship of the dead
As the cycle of sacrifice unwinds

Chorus

And the night comes again to the circle studded sky
The stars settle slowly, in loneliness they lie
'Til the universe explodes as a falling star is raised
The planets are paralyzed, the mountains are amazed
But they all glow brighter from the brilliance of the blaze
With the speed of insanity, then he dies

Notes

Copyright © 1966, 1968 Barricade Music Inc., New York, N.Y.

Subject: Tune Add: I AIN'T MARCHING ANYMORE (Phil Ochs)
From: OldPossum
Date: 18 May 03 - 05:47 PM

I suppose this is as good a place as any to post the tune for I Ain't Marching Anymore by Phil Ochs.
I have used some unusual symbols in the w: tags for this one, so if that causes any problems, please let me know about it.


X:48
T:I Ain't Marching Anymore
B:The Complete Phil Ochs: Chords of Fame
C:Phil Ochs
N:filename[ AINTMRCH
N:This one was not in missing tunes file
M:C|
L:1/4
K:G
d d |: d2 d d | (c B) A G | A2 D2 |
w: Oh I|marched to the|Bat-_tle of|New Or-|
w: *|killed my |share_ of_|Ind-i-|
D2 D D | d2 d d | c B A<G | A4-|A z1 D2 |
w: leans At the|end of the|ear-ly Brit-ish|war_ The|
w: ans in a|thous-and_|dif-fer-ent_|fights_ I~heard|
d d d d | (c B) A B | c c c c | (B A) G G |
w: young land start-ed|grow-_ing the|young blood start-ed|flow-_ing But|
w: man-y men a|ly-ing I saw|man-y more a|dy-_ing And|
e2 e2 | e d c B | A4-|1 A2 d d :|2 A2 z1 B|
w: I ain't|march-ing an-y|more._ For I|
w: I ain't|march-ing an-y|***|more. It's|
% interlude:
|| c c2 c | c3 c | B B B A |
w: al-ways the|old to|lead us to the|
G4 | c c2 c | B2 B2 | A4-|
w: war|Al-ways the|young to|fall|
A3 B | c c c c | c2 c c |
w: _Now|look at all we|won with a|
B B B A | G4 | e e e e |
w: sa-bre and a|gun|Tell me was it|
c2 B2 | A4-|A2 z2 ||
w: worth it|all?||

Subject: RE: Phil Ochs: I ain´t marching anymore
From: rich r
Date: 03 Jan 98 - 11:42 PM

Ballad of the Carpenter I think was written by Ewan MacColl. The version that Ochs recorded differed slightly in the lyrics from the one published in Sing Out! and also recorded by Ewan & Peggy Seeger. Since it wasn't written by Ochs, it might not be at the Ochs site listed (Of course I haven't actually looked)

rich r

Subject: RE: Phil Ochs: I ain´t marching anymore
From: Susan of DT
Date: 03 Jan 98 - 04:36 PM

We have "I Ain't Marchin' Any More" right here in the DT. Which Carpenter? Somewhere I have That was the President. I'll look for it

Subject: RE: Phil Ochs: I ain´t marching anymore
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jan 98 - 03:21 PM

Here's a pretty good Phil Ochs site: http://www.cs.pdx.edu/~trent/ochs/. Click on the URL, and I think you'll find what you're looking for. If you search under "ochs" in the upper-right corner of this page, you'll find several Phil Ochs songs.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Phil Ochs: I ain´t marching anymore
From:
Date: 03 Jan 98 - 02:54 PM

I'm looking for the lyrics of Phil Ochs's CD: "I Ain't Marching Anymore" with the following titles (e.g.)

Ballad of the Carpenter
Days of Decision
I Ain't Marching Anymore
In the Heart of the Summer
Links on the Chain
That Was the President

Ciao