THIN WILD MERCURY
(Todd Snider)

Poor Phil Ochs, sad and low
Hands in his pockets, wonderin' where to go
Watching those tail lights leave him behind
Thrown from the limousine for speaking his mind
Like a red-eyed photo into a garbage can
At the corner of a hero and also ran
A fragile heart skipped a fragile beat
It's warm in the limousine, cold on the street

Chorus
Thin wild mercury
And gold lame
Things will go your way
Or they won't
Thin wild mercury
And gold lame
You know what they say
Or you don't

It was all over some new Dylan song
That Phil had the nerve to say sounded wrong
Dylan stopped the car, words shook like a fist
"Phil, you ain't a writer, you're a journalist"
Death of a rebel, twist of fate
If he ever thought better, he thought too late
Poor Phil Ochs, he slipped through the cracks
Judas went electric and he never looked back on....

Chorus

Repeat Chorus
Or you don't 2x
No, you don't

Notes:
This song, which is based on Phil's bust up with Dylan, appears on the CD 'The Devil You Know' (New Door Records B000G2YCUQ) released in 2006.
RP jul07