When the hurlyburly's done

Life right now is in such a state of turmoil that I am aiming to distract myself. To that end, I present to you:

10 Reasons why I love Phil Ochs (And You Should Too).



Phil Ochs was an American protest/folk singer who was active in the 60's and early-70's. He was a contemporary and collaborator of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, etc. etc. yet until very recently I had never heard of him. Shock horror. Here are some reasons why that is so, so wrong.

1. He was a talented, prolific topical song writer. He used to contribute material to a singer-songwriter magazine called "Broadside". He would take the subway from his apartment in Greenwich Village to the offices of the magazine on the Upper West Side in New York and write 7 or 8 songs on the 30 minute ride up. He would have a new song in every issue of the magazine in those days.

2. He was sharp and very funny, peppering his concerts with witty introductions to songs or simply taking the piss out of his own kind in tunes like Love Me, I'm a Liberal. He had a clause in his folk club contracts that required a picket line outside of his concerts. Always in friendly competition, Bob Dylan once suggested that he should abandon folk music and become a stand-up comedian.

3. Of all the topical protest singers of his generation, nobody was quite as political as Phil. He was as much a singer as he was an activist. He would often give up paid gigs to play at political rallies and benefits. He sang at the 1968 demonstrations in Chicago against the Democratic National Convention (apparently an event many people promised they would show up at but most chickened out). He helped found a youth counter cultural organization called the Yippies. He performed at the concert that helped launch Greenpeace. He organized a big benefit in the 70's for Chile. That's just the start of it. Let's just say that he was a passionate individual.

4. He loved movies. He used to see everything that came out. He eventually started writing movie reviews for the Los Angeles Free Press, which I think is so at odds with his whole super political/anti-war/save the world attitude. Cross-ref point 2., he used to introduce his song "Joe Hill" (about a union activist who was framed for murder) as follows: "The song by the way has been made into a movie, starring Richard Burton as Joe Hill, and Elizabeth Taylor plays the Industrial Workers of the World." Trust me, it's funny when he says it!

5. After moving to Los Angeles, he described the city as "a beautiful, sensual morgue".

6. His love of flat caps:



7. This anecdote: ( Not for the faint of heart. Or those about to eat )

8. He could ( scrub up real nice if he wanted to. )

9. He was a realist. In the 70's he would introduce himself at concerts as "an old-timer, way back from the 60's. A time when people used to get upset with things going on with the government. They used to, believe it or not, actually demonstrate in the streets! Of course, they don't do that anymore - to demonstrate in the streets is now passé and unfashionable ... and not likely to get you any girls."

10. But first of all and most of all because of this: Listen to Phil Ochs' albums on Myspace (US/Canada only, I believe.)

BONUS! 11. The way he strums his guitar while he introduces songs on live recordings gets on my nerves. I love that about him too.

Phil Ochs suffered from manic depression that got gradually worse. In 1976, at the age of 35, he took his own life. 34 years later, I am both captivated and heart broken.

When you see this in a friend's journal, quote Shakespeare.

First witch: When shall we three meet again,
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Second Witch: When the hurly-burly's done,
When the battle's lost and won.
Third witch: That will be ere the set of sun.
First witch: Where the place?
Second witch: Upon the heath.
Third witch: There to meet with Macbeth.
First witch: I come, Greymalkin!
Second witch: Paddock calls.
Third witch: Anon!
All: Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air.

(Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 1)

"Shakespeare - The nearest thing in incarnation to the eye of God"
- Laurence Olivier (1907-1989)