The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #102943   Message #2507762
Posted By: Rog Peek
04-Dec-08 - 12:38 PM
Thread Name: Songs for/about Phil Ochs
Subject: Lyr Add: VAN RONK (Tom Russell)
VAN RONK
(Tom Russell)

He had a little apartment on Sheridan Square in New York,
Had it almost forty years. They say Dylan slept on the couch once,
And Phil Ochs, during his final psychotic days,
When Phil called himself John Train and sat up all day on the sofa
Cutting up National Geographics, making whacked out collages,
And threatening peoples lives with scissors.
Then Phil Ochs hung himself in Far Rockaway.

But Dave Van Ronk tried to watch over all of them
Every kid who walked in wide-eyed with a guitar and song fragment
They called Dave The Pope of Greenwich Village
And I sat on his couch a few times and
It was better than any hundred-dollar shrink or hooker.
His second wife Andrea is a beautiful little woman who plays classical harp
And Dave would direct her to play records as we sat there and drank
Then he'd tell us to shut up and listen
And if we didn't listen Van Ronk would command her to play a song
Again and again, until we got it, like "Play that goddamned thing again Andrea,
Play it, now listen to this goddamned thing you people,
Listen to this goddamned song you people.
And he'd close his eyes, boy would we listen,
We'd try to clear out our drunken heads and listen deep.
And then that big magic glass pitcher of white wine would appear
With an ice cube shaft down the middle,
Magically refilled in the kitchen, gallons of it.
And Van Ronk would cough and close his eyes
And suck on a forbidden cigarette until he was finally asleep,
Passed out, snoring and muttering on the couch
And you could hear his smoke destroyed lungs struggling to clear the air
And we all staggered down those stairs
That little rent controlled apartment with all its books and Micronesian art
And guitars and harps and cigarette smoke, wine bottles and folk ghosts
And wonderful, wonderful stories, and the magic glass pitcher of white wine.
We all loved Dave van Ronk,
He was The Pope of Greenwich village goddamn it.
And when he died they had all the appropriate tributes,
I heard they even named a street after him in New York City.
But who the hell can conjure up those nights we spent,
Feeling honoured and blessed by The Pope
Melting into a couch, hearing him rant and rave and tell old stories.
That's the way it was, sinking further and further into that couch.
Giving us benediction with a cigarette stub, ashes flying everywhere,
As some new guitar or poet kid walked through.
We were wondering if Dylan dropped any songs between the cushions
That were still down there. All we found was old pennies.
So go down to the village, do yourself a favour one of these days,
And put your ear to the ground over there near Sheridan Square.
Listen to him, goddamn it, listen, he's still there, listen to Dave Van Ronk.
"Play that goddamned song again Andrea, play it, play it,
Play that goddamned Dave Van Ronk song one more time."
I can hear him coughing, singing, barking, lecturing, and laughing
Ranting and raving in heaven or hell or purgatory, oblivion, nirvana
Wherever they send the real good ones after they pass on through,
And their earthly gig is over……. (clears his throat twice) Mmmmm
(Dave Van Ronk sings): -
"I got a letter from my home, most of my friends dead and gone,
They can't worry, they can't wonder about times to come.
My old mother said to me 'So young and foolish child you can't see
Now I ain't got no mother, my sister and my brother turned their back on me…..
(fade out)

Notes: This was a difficult one, really didn't know whether to include it. The 'song', at least the version I have heard, is spoken, with a musical accompaniment, and although there are a few lines about Phil Ochs, it is, as the title suggests about Dave Van Ronk. I discussed it with oldhippie, and I agree with him when he pointed out, "the few lines are well done, and should be included on merit".
In order that the part about Phil can be appreciated in the context of the whole song, I have included the whole song, but italicised those lines about Phil.
The song is included on "Veteran's Day-The Tom Russell Anthology" (Shout Factory B001G7EGRE)released in 2008.
RP Dec08