Lyr Add: /Correction: 'Changes' (Phil Ochs)

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Lyr Add: /Correction: 'Changes' (Phil Ochs)

18 Jan 03 - 04:38 PM (#869582)
Subject: Lyr Add: /Correction: 'Changes' (Phil Ochs)
From: Genie

(I did not add this to the previous thread about "Changes," because that thread was about a different song with the same title.)

Genie

Listening to Phil Ochs sing this song and comparing it to the version in the DT, I discovered that a whole verse was left out of the DT.

Not only that, but there are a few places where Phil clearly sings the lyrics differently. (Of course, the lyrics may have been altered on the versions by Ian and Sylvia or others.) I have indicated the omitted verse (#5) and how Phil's lyrics compare with the DT below.

(Please note that the "circle-time" lyric was not hard to understand on Ochs's recording. It's clearly not "serpentine." The "vines" vs. "winds" thing in verse #3 is a little less clear. It sound like "vines," though it's conceivable he's saying "wines" or "winds" as in "winding road," but it's definitely a long "i" sound, not "winds" as in "the four winds." The first verse I also copied from the liner notes for the Ochs CD, as well as listening to them.

1. Sit by my side, come as close as the air,
Share in a memory of gray;
And wander in my words,
~~and~~ Dream about the pictures that I play of changes.

2. Green leaves of summer turn red in the fall.
To brown and to yellow they fade.
And then they have to die,
Trapped within the circle-time ~~serpentine~~ parade of changes.

3. Scenes of my young years were warm in my mind,
Visions of shadows that shine,
Till one day I returned and found to find they were the
Victims of the vines ~~winds~~ of changes.

4. The world's spinning madly, it drifts in the dark,
Swings through a hollow of haze,
A race around the stars,
A journey through the a universe ablaze with changes.

5. Moments of magic will glow in the night;
All fears of the forest are gone,
But when the morning breaks
They're swept away by golden drops of dawn, of changes.

6. Passions will part to a strange melody.
As fires will sometimes burn cold.
Like petals in the wind,
We're puppets to the silver strings of souls, of changes.

6. Your tears will be trembling. Now we're somewhere else.
One last cup of wine we will pour,
And I'll kiss you one more time,
And leave you on the rolling river shores of changes.

(repeat first verse)

DT: Recorded by Phil Ochs, also Ian & Sylvia - Play One More
Copyright Appleseed Music, Inc.
The CD liner notes I have (a 3-CD set, "Farewell & Fantasies" [Elektra]) gives the copyright info for "Changes" as "© 1963, renewed 1991 Barricade Music, Inc."

21 Jan 03 - 03:11 AM (#871183)
Subject: Chords Add: "Changes" (Phil Ochs)
From: Genie

Here are the full lyrics, without the strikeouts, etc., and with chords.

-------------------------

CHANGES (Phil Ochs © 1963, renewed 1991 Barricade Music, Inc.)
      F            G                  C              Am
1. Sit by my side, come as close as the air,
F             G             Am                  F                  Dm
Share in a mem'ry of gray; / (And) wander in my words,
G                       C         Am      F->G       C
Dream about the pictures that I play    of Changes.

      F                      G                 C            Am
2. Green leaves of summer turn red in the fall.
       F                 G             Am                  F                     Dm
To brown and to yellow they fade. / And then they have to die,
G                          C       Am      F->G       C
Trapped within the circle-time parade   of Changes.

           F              G                        C              Am
3. Scenes of my young years were warm in my mind,
F             G                 Am                  F              Dm
Visions of shadows that shine, / Till one day I returned
        G                            C         Am      F->G       C
And found they were the victims of the vines   of Changes.

              F                      G            C              Am
4. The world's spinning madly, it drifts in the dark,
F                        G            Am             F                     Dm
Swings through a hollow of haze, / A race around the stars,
     G                             C   Am      F->G            C
A journey through the universe ablaze    with Changes.

        F               G             C              Am
5. Moments of magic will glow in the night;
        F             G             Am                  F                        Dm
All fears of the forest are gone, / But when the morning breaks
            G                    C         Am        F->G           C
They're swept away by golden drops of dawn,    of Changes.

        F                G            C              Am
6. Passions will part to a strange melody.
       F           G                    Am                F                  Dm
As fires will sometimes burn cold. / Like petals in the wind,
           G                   C         Am           F->G       C
We're puppets to the silver strings of souls,    of Changes.

               F                  G                     C                    Am
7. Your tears will be trembling. Now we're somewhere else.
         F              G                Am                     F                        Dm
One last cup of wine we will pour, / And I'll kiss you one more time,
        G                       C       Am        F->G       C
And leave you on the rolling river shores    of Changes.

(repeat first verse)

22 Jan 03 - 02:33 AM (#872024)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: /Correction: 'Changes' (Phil Ochs)
From: Mark Cohen

The words are correct, Genie, but the chords aren't. They sound right, but they're not the way Phil wrote them. From my 1968 Phil Ochs songbook, The War Is Over (note this is in G, not in C):

C             D                   G                Am
Sit by my side, come as close as the air,
C             D             Bm
Share in a mem'ry of grey,
       Em                Am
And wander in my words
       D                      G                   Am D      G
And dream about the pictures that I play of changes.

Aloha,
Mark

(Thanks, Max, for the "preview" feature! Makes it possible to put chords in without going completely crazy!)

22 Jan 03 - 02:37 AM (#872025)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: /Correction: 'Changes' (Phil Ochs)
From: Mark Cohen

P.S. The cover price on that 1968 songbook is $3.95! It's a gem for any Ochs lover. Photos, articles, interviews, and two dozen songs. Sorry, my copy isn't for sale! Haunt your used bookstores...or maybe Sandy Paton knows where to get hold of it.

Aloha,
Mark

27 Jan 03 - 03:57 AM (#875600)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: /Correction: 'Changes' (Phil Ochs)
From: GUEST,Genie

Thanks for the chord correction, Mark. Often, more than one set of chords works, but it's nice to have the ones the composer specified/used.

Re "used book stores," I practically STOLE a 3-CD compilation of Phil Ochs songs ("Farewell and Forever," IIRC) with many pages of photos and lots of info on Phil's life and career, for about $6.00 in a thrift store. Amazing the "finds" that can be had in thrift stores and used book stores.

Genie

18 May 03 - 12:02 PM (#954863)
Subject: Tune Add: Changes
From: OldPossum

X:40
T:Changes
B:The Complete Phil Ochs: Chords of Fame
C:Phil Ochs
N:filename[ CHANGS
M:C|
L:1/4
K:G
| c2 A<G | F2 G<A | B2 D F | E4 | c2 A<G |
w: Sit by my|side, come as|close as the|air,|Share in a|
F2 G A | B3 B | e>d c B | c3 A | d>c B A |
w: mem-'ry of|grey, and|wan-der in my|words, And|dream a-bout the|
B A G<B | (E3 G | F3) A | A G3 |]
w: pic-tures that I|play_|_of|chang-es.