Song for Phil Ochs.

You were my finest friend
I spent so many hours with you
I listened to each line
The way I knew you'd want me to
You never told a lie
But honest men don't prosper now
Your truth will never die
Although you've made the final bow

Chorus;
The stranger in the dark
The face inside the looking glass
And now you've slipped away
There's no one left to watch us pass

If only I had known
How sad it was to be denied
How bad it was to feel
The loneliness you locked inside
When all the words were gone
And there were no more songs to rhyme
The empty pages turned
To mark the passing of your time

Chorus

I'll keep you every day
As close as loving ever can
I'll sing them all the pain
And hope that they can see the man
The torch bright in your hand
The lost ones standing all around
The ragged flag of peace
You carried on the battleground

Chorus

So now your race is run
When all the blossom told of spring
The story now is done
The saddest song I'll ever sing

Written on the train to London after having read of his death in the newspaper I'd bought for the ride. Phil spent two days with me on his British tour and I have a tape of him teaching me his two new songs "Flower Lady" and "Cannons of Christianity".
Every singer of conscience in America should learn and sing "Cops of the world" today...it says it all.