I love this, heard it before Phil...(Canadian, eh?) but for my money Phil in concert in Boston..That is the song! (hey, you have good material, you can build a good house) And Gord always had the voice..if he did not fill the LP's with his own stuff..he found Other great stuff...Changes and Imagine for my money
Lightfoot does a wonderful job on this song, but he is more or less following in the style of his good friends Ian Tyson and Sylvia Fricker—but it's impossible to improve on their interpretation of the song, in my opinion.
I was at a concert in Vancouver in 67 where Gord played this song. He said that Phil was working on it when he came up to Toronto and played it for him.
Phil's live version has 2 more verses that Gord left out. Both are terrific versions of a great song- period.
I think it's a good rendition, and arguments about too fast or too slow reflect personal taste. Please don't forget that a performance is a collaboration among musicians, and his fellow musician(s) probably had a say in choosing a tempo.
I think one of Gord's guitarists (and one he's stayed with for a long time) is named Rick Haynes. Wonderful, and I hope I didn't get his name wrong.
@lskarin - Nice comment. And you're right about Rick Haynes, who has been with Lightfoot from 1969 thru the present; excellent bass player. His work on the album "Summer Side of Life" is stunning.
Wonderful...thank you for sharing this. Gordon Lightfoot's voice is PERFECT for this cover and a terrific tribute to the talents of Phil Ochs. Happy 70th birthday, Phil...December 19th, 2010.
I love a lot of Ochs AND Lightfoot. Sure wish Ochs was still with us (there are much better treatments for manic-depression today than there were for Phil, alas) -- am very glad that Lightfoot is:). Would never pit them against each other. One could argue, for example, about whose voice was better, whose music was/is more topical, etc. But why? Suffice it to say that Ochs was a great songwriter and performer. So is Lightfoot. Enough said. Let's enjoy them both:) --
Ochs' good buddy Jim Glover, with Glover's late wife Jean Ray (as "Jim and Jean"), did a folk-rock version that was closer in spirit to the original (google it, they won't let me post a link) but Lightfoot's version is a folk masterpiece - and it is not too fast!
One of the finest and most beautiful songs of its time- up there with anything Dylan, Simon, or Lennon/McCartney did. I don't feel this version is rushed- and we,and Gordon, owe a great debt of gratitude to the too-early departed Phil Ochs, who never got the credit he deserved. So he wasn't Dylan. No one else was, either, and no one else was Phil Ochs.
Nice to hear a full version of Changes since they won't allow Phils Ochs on for more than 30 seconds. Also Gordon is pretty good but he singsandplays this too fast - sorry but I just am not moved but no one can do Phil. If you rush through a song why do it?
Well I disagree. How would you know what Phil would like unless you knew him personally or studied him. I have studied his works and listened to him a 1000 hours but I would never presume to know what he would think of this or that.
Marvelous you say .. you are funny. Actually I studied Phil's speech patterns for 19 years and he never used the word " marvelous"
@Scout4Me1 Perhaps he sped it up because was trying to record it for release as a hit single for radio play. Back then, the stations wanted short songs.
@11xzxzxz A personal choice singers make when doing a song be it theirs or someone elses, because he chose to do his version faster does not mean it has no import or that it does not reach someone, therefore it is only rushing to you, to him it is simply his interpretation of Phil's song ! it's all good!
@rakeuiff I agree with most of what you say (but I won't tell you which part) and I am not for censorship in any way but I just express my opinion and was pissed that's Phil's version was only 30 seconds (at that time) and it was a bad video with everything out of sync and this great song found it's biggest audience in this. Funny Gordon seems to usually do his own songs slower? I have no tendency to like fast or slower. I just feel strongly this is not good. A song that I used to cry too..
@11xzxzxz The greatest honor a talent like GL can pay to a songwriter is to do his version of one of the tunes he's written, however it comes out, it becomes Gordon Lightfoot.
We all have our preferences, for me, Phil's friend and roommate, Jim Glover and wife do the tune as well as anyone, check out Jim and Jean.
@11xzxzxz Jim and jean actually recorded it first phil ochs gave them an exclusive on it gordon lightfoot made the first recorded version of me and bobby magee
@MrPhingers there is a jim and jean club in myspace but the clubs are temporaily shut off GL started as a jazz pianist then a jingle writer then a folk singer/ songwriter
@11xzxzxz Yes, it's too fast. Any doubters should stop and listen to the opening lyrics: Sit by my side, come as close as the air. This is a SLOW song about a quiet moment. Think stillness of the air. Should not be played in a breezy style.
@steve0701 EXACTLY IT IS TOO FAST. ITS A SLOW MAUDLIN SONG. WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE SO WRONG AND YOU AND ME ARE ALWAYS RIGHT? lol. THANKS .. NICE TO HAVE AN INTELLIGENT PERSON ON YTUBE WHO KNOWS HIS OCHS .. BEST WISHES.
This is such a GREAT song!! You have to wonder if Phil Ochs life would have been different had he written more songs like this and "Chords of Fame" (another classic) instead of getting so bogged down in political stuff that only the most radical lefties could appreciate, just a thought.
Yes, Phil Ochs wrote many non-political songs which were beautiful and brilliant. The music world loss a great talent. His depression may have been hereditary which most of the time it is.
From what I've read, I don't think he believed he had a choice. His politics weren't simply a hobby. He felt, the injustices of his country (which he always believed should be fair - weird, huh) so deeply that it drove him to tears (the depression didn't help). And he saw everything he fought for destroyed. His movements were shattered, a good friend tortured and killed in Chile, and even his voice was taken from him. He said he died in 1968, and even though he killed himself in 1976, I get it.
There is one sad story Joan Baez told about Phil Ochs. Ochs inivited her to join him in giving a concert in Chile, I think it was. Joan just ended a concert tour and needed a rest so she declined the invitation. After Ochs took his own life Joan regrets to this day that she turned Ochs down. Joan was very, very sad about that. Joan included that story when she was interviewed on TV or maybe it was on a DVD, but I saw it. She deeply regreted it.
I have always loved Gord's version of this song, and have played this song for many years. I love Phil Ochs, but to me, this is the quintessential version. The guitars, the tempo and the voice are perfect..
@sancerre124 A mere pop song? That is simply not true.The arrangement to the Lightfoot version is decidedly pure folk, it was an "album cut" not a single, and truth be told, much better sung and produced than Och's version. Really, Lightfoot's version is by far the best version of this song, ain't even close.
I agree I am biased.But for me Phil's voice has a sincerity and bittersweet beauty which cannot be replicated by any other 20th century singer.As a singer and as a songwriter I rate Phil far far higher than my other favorites-ray charles,mahalia jackson,billie holiday,ella fitzgerald,louis armstrong,aretha franklin,nat king cole,sam cooke,marvin gaye,bob dylan,neil young,john lennon,leonard cohen,roy orbinson,bob marley.....
when I first heard this song I totally missed the point. I thought it was about a guy diching his wife- then I read about Phil - he whote it to his wife - who was walking out on him- he didn't want her to leave - but knew he couldn't stop her and wrote this - Wow. A different perspective and its now touching instead of infuriating
Since Gordon Lightfoot wrote and performed mostly his own music, it is a real tribute to Phil Ochs that he would cover one of his songs. Thank you for this post.
its stil good
armsillustra1 3 months ago
I love this, heard it before Phil...(Canadian, eh?) but for my money Phil in concert in Boston..That is the song! (hey, you have good material, you can build a good house) And Gord always had the voice..if he did not fill the LP's with his own stuff..he found Other great stuff...Changes and Imagine for my money
TheVaughan7 4 months ago
Lightfoot does a wonderful job on this song, but he is more or less following in the style of his good friends Ian Tyson and Sylvia Fricker—but it's impossible to improve on their interpretation of the song, in my opinion.
biastg 5 months ago
Only a numnut woud think this version is bad in any way. This is as good S IT GETS.
polishprick78 7 months ago
I was at a concert in Vancouver in 67 where Gord played this song. He said that Phil was working on it when he came up to Toronto and played it for him.
Phil's live version has 2 more verses that Gord left out. Both are terrific versions of a great song- period.
Rest in Peace, Phil.
janders47 11 months ago
Lightfoot's version is beautiful plus he makes it feel like a Lightfoot song - his voice never sounded better!
AllManWeather 1 year ago
I think it's a good rendition, and arguments about too fast or too slow reflect personal taste. Please don't forget that a performance is a collaboration among musicians, and his fellow musician(s) probably had a say in choosing a tempo.
I think one of Gord's guitarists (and one he's stayed with for a long time) is named Rick Haynes. Wonderful, and I hope I didn't get his name wrong.
lskarin 1 year ago 3
@lskarin - Nice comment. And you're right about Rick Haynes, who has been with Lightfoot from 1969 thru the present; excellent bass player. His work on the album "Summer Side of Life" is stunning.
violetjm 11 months ago
@violetjm
Wonderful. I appreciate your finetuning of my understanding. Thank you.
lskarin 11 months ago
Wonderful...thank you for sharing this. Gordon Lightfoot's voice is PERFECT for this cover and a terrific tribute to the talents of Phil Ochs. Happy 70th birthday, Phil...December 19th, 2010.
PorkyBarnes 1 year ago
This song always remined me of my mortality.
furlorop 1 year ago
Beautiful melody and touching lyrics, thanks to Phil Ochs. Gordon Lightfoot is great!
cristomontez 1 year ago
A younger Gord here looks like LUKE DOUCET. Funny eh? Two great Canadian singer/songwriters from different generations. GO CANADA!!!
gordlightfootfan 1 year ago
I love a lot of Ochs AND Lightfoot. Sure wish Ochs was still with us (there are much better treatments for manic-depression today than there were for Phil, alas) -- am very glad that Lightfoot is:). Would never pit them against each other. One could argue, for example, about whose voice was better, whose music was/is more topical, etc. But why? Suffice it to say that Ochs was a great songwriter and performer. So is Lightfoot. Enough said. Let's enjoy them both:) --
stevevandien 1 year ago 4
Ochs' good buddy Jim Glover, with Glover's late wife Jean Ray (as "Jim and Jean"), did a folk-rock version that was closer in spirit to the original (google it, they won't let me post a link) but Lightfoot's version is a folk masterpiece - and it is not too fast!
NoSnoozeBlues 1 year ago
@NoSnoozeBlues brian ray is jean rays brother he plays guitar with paul mcartney check out his videos in youtube
spacepatrolman 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I like this up-tempo version.
aeiou99999 1 year ago
My uncle sings this song pretty well, but I love Gordons version, as well.
XxDagothUrxX 1 year ago
One of the finest and most beautiful songs of its time- up there with anything Dylan, Simon, or Lennon/McCartney did. I don't feel this version is rushed- and we,and Gordon, owe a great debt of gratitude to the too-early departed Phil Ochs, who never got the credit he deserved. So he wasn't Dylan. No one else was, either, and no one else was Phil Ochs.
slownoman 1 year ago
Nice to hear a full version of Changes since they won't allow Phils Ochs on for more than 30 seconds. Also Gordon is pretty good but he singsandplays this too fast - sorry but I just am not moved but no one can do Phil. If you rush through a song why do it?
11xzxzxz 1 year ago 3
@11xzxzxz Disagree. Gordon does a marvelous rendition of 'Changes'. It does truly do justice to Phil Ochs. Phil would feel complimented.
Scout4Me1 1 year ago 15
@Scout4Me1
Well I disagree. How would you know what Phil would like unless you knew him personally or studied him. I have studied his works and listened to him a 1000 hours but I would never presume to know what he would think of this or that.
Marvelous you say .. you are funny. Actually I studied Phil's speech patterns for 19 years and he never used the word " marvelous"
11xzxzxz 1 year ago
Comment removed
11xzxzxz 1 year ago
@11xzxzxz The numbers and comments don`t lie.
Scout4Me1 1 year ago
@Scout4Me1 The number are a mere 8400 and most come to this site to see Gordon.
11xzxzxz 1 year ago
@Scout4Me1 Perhaps he sped it up because was trying to record it for release as a hit single for radio play. Back then, the stations wanted short songs.
charlvi 1 year ago
@Scout4Me1 There is a phil ochs club in face book
spacepatrolman 3 months ago
@11xzxzxz hey if you havnt found it already. there is a full version of Changes title is phil ochs changes you can go through my profile to find it
CopenhagenRayne 1 year ago
@11xzxzxz A personal choice singers make when doing a song be it theirs or someone elses, because he chose to do his version faster does not mean it has no import or that it does not reach someone, therefore it is only rushing to you, to him it is simply his interpretation of Phil's song ! it's all good!
rakeuiff 1 year ago 2
@rakeuiff I agree with most of what you say (but I won't tell you which part) and I am not for censorship in any way but I just express my opinion and was pissed that's Phil's version was only 30 seconds (at that time) and it was a bad video with everything out of sync and this great song found it's biggest audience in this. Funny Gordon seems to usually do his own songs slower? I have no tendency to like fast or slower. I just feel strongly this is not good. A song that I used to cry too..
11xzxzxz 1 year ago
@11xzxzxz The greatest honor a talent like GL can pay to a songwriter is to do his version of one of the tunes he's written, however it comes out, it becomes Gordon Lightfoot.
We all have our preferences, for me, Phil's friend and roommate, Jim Glover and wife do the tune as well as anyone, check out Jim and Jean.
MrPhingers 7 months ago
@MrPhingers Sure I really like Jim and Jeans cover.
11xzxzxz 7 months ago
@11xzxzxz Jim and jean actually recorded it first phil ochs gave them an exclusive on it gordon lightfoot made the first recorded version of me and bobby magee
spacepatrolman 7 months ago
@MrPhingers there is a jim and jean club in myspace but the clubs are temporaily shut off GL started as a jazz pianist then a jingle writer then a folk singer/ songwriter
spacepatrolman 7 months ago
@11xzxzxz I like this version much better! He's a much better singer than!
cf1934 7 months ago
@cf1934 Sure he is a genius, millionaire , handicap golf-player, what a man what a magnet and do-good- er. Phil Ochs who?
11xzxzxz 7 months ago
@11xzxzxz Yes, it's too fast. Any doubters should stop and listen to the opening lyrics: Sit by my side, come as close as the air. This is a SLOW song about a quiet moment. Think stillness of the air. Should not be played in a breezy style.
steve0701 7 months ago
@steve0701 EXACTLY IT IS TOO FAST. ITS A SLOW MAUDLIN SONG. WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE SO WRONG AND YOU AND ME ARE ALWAYS RIGHT? lol. THANKS .. NICE TO HAVE AN INTELLIGENT PERSON ON YTUBE WHO KNOWS HIS OCHS .. BEST WISHES.
11xzxzxz 6 months ago
Great Song
Schollekop1982 1 year ago
@Schollekop1982
He has a great folksinger`s tenor voice. The most beautiful I have heard.
Scout4Me1 1 year ago 3
What a gem ......
"The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which have been hidden by the answers" - James Baldwin
martinangusCB 2 years ago 4
I like that quote!
Scout4Me1 2 years ago
This is such a GREAT song!! You have to wonder if Phil Ochs life would have been different had he written more songs like this and "Chords of Fame" (another classic) instead of getting so bogged down in political stuff that only the most radical lefties could appreciate, just a thought.
fethard1 2 years ago
Yes, Phil Ochs wrote many non-political songs which were beautiful and brilliant. The music world loss a great talent. His depression may have been hereditary which most of the time it is.
Scout4Me1 2 years ago
From what I've read, I don't think he believed he had a choice. His politics weren't simply a hobby. He felt, the injustices of his country (which he always believed should be fair - weird, huh) so deeply that it drove him to tears (the depression didn't help). And he saw everything he fought for destroyed. His movements were shattered, a good friend tortured and killed in Chile, and even his voice was taken from him. He said he died in 1968, and even though he killed himself in 1976, I get it.
benmcfee 2 years ago
There is one sad story Joan Baez told about Phil Ochs. Ochs inivited her to join him in giving a concert in Chile, I think it was. Joan just ended a concert tour and needed a rest so she declined the invitation. After Ochs took his own life Joan regrets to this day that she turned Ochs down. Joan was very, very sad about that. Joan included that story when she was interviewed on TV or maybe it was on a DVD, but I saw it. She deeply regreted it.
Scout4Me1 2 years ago
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Phil Ochs!
19 December 1940
The Poet of Folk!
I miss you!!
Dexhu 2 years ago 6
Last part is perfect...
"Your tears will be trembling now we're somewhere else
One last cup of wine we will pour
I'll kiss you one more time
And leave you on the rolling river shore
Of changes "
GeneralHanSolo 2 years ago
I have always loved Gord's version of this song, and have played this song for many years. I love Phil Ochs, but to me, this is the quintessential version. The guitars, the tempo and the voice are perfect..
madrivermusic2009 2 years ago 22
Yes, Gordon does it very nicely. Phil was so talented also. He left us too soon. Take care.
Scout4Me1 2 years ago
sorry!but i don't agree with that.
the original version has truth,beauty and light.it is timeless.
gordon has turned it into a mere pop song.
sancerre124 1 year ago
@sancerre124 A mere pop song? That is simply not true.The arrangement to the Lightfoot version is decidedly pure folk, it was an "album cut" not a single, and truth be told, much better sung and produced than Och's version. Really, Lightfoot's version is by far the best version of this song, ain't even close.
fethard1 1 year ago
@fethard1
I agree I am biased.But for me Phil's voice has a sincerity and bittersweet beauty which cannot be replicated by any other 20th century singer.As a singer and as a songwriter I rate Phil far far higher than my other favorites-ray charles,mahalia jackson,billie holiday,ella fitzgerald,louis armstrong,aretha franklin,nat king cole,sam cooke,marvin gaye,bob dylan,neil young,john lennon,leonard cohen,roy orbinson,bob marley.....
sancerre124 1 year ago
Brings back so many mixed memories.Thank you
celticrosie 2 years ago
Thank you for your comment.
Scout4Me1 2 years ago
Gordon was always a fine wine - he just got better with age!
lilyanneisme 2 years ago 2
Yes, Gordon Lightfoot is actually my favorite male folksinger. I have most of his early stuff and it`s beautiful!
Scout4Me1 2 years ago
when I first heard this song I totally missed the point. I thought it was about a guy diching his wife- then I read about Phil - he whote it to his wife - who was walking out on him- he didn't want her to leave - but knew he couldn't stop her and wrote this - Wow. A different perspective and its now touching instead of infuriating
stubar30 2 years ago
wow, I did not know the origin of this song!
It must have been a real heartbreaker for Phil. He took his own life leaving us way too soon. We lost such a talented man.
Scout4Me1 2 years ago
Since Gordon Lightfoot wrote and performed mostly his own music, it is a real tribute to Phil Ochs that he would cover one of his songs. Thank you for this post.
VJ254 2 years ago
Yes, we lost the very talented Phil Ochs too soon. Take care.
Scout4Me1 2 years ago
This is such a wonderful song. One of my favorites from Gordon.
2622horses 2 years ago
yes, I love this song by Gordon LIghtfoot!
Scout4Me1 2 years ago
I actually like this version better than Phil's. And I don't say that about too many Ochs covers.
padraiggillon 2 years ago
yeah, Phil Ochs wrote so many beautiful songs, and Gordon Lightfoot had a great voice. Phil Ochs left us way too soon. I miss you Phil.
Scout4Me1 2 years ago