Chords of Fame (new)

Of all the protest singers who emerged from the Greenwich Village scene of New York City in the early 1960s, few -then or in retrospective - were as genuine or as committed as Phil Ochs.
Ochs may have been in the shadow of another Mid Western boy, but his songs stand up to the comparison and many are as relevant today as when he wrote them.
While others sought the hit parade, Ochs stayed true to his beliefs, singing on the university campuses and on the protest marches.
To a degree this denied him the widepsread popularity others chased, which at times frustrated him.
As Tom Paxton put it: Ochs believed he was next in line - and then he died.
Chords of Fame; the theme song for a heroic but ultimately tragic story.

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Music

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• Ochs

[superhoga]

This is a great song but I feel like he's giving advice from his own experience. He tried so hard to give his message a broader dispersion than folk music gave so he tried different styles and got away from his roots. I love Phil's music. Beautiful melodies, incredible lyrics, insistent tone.

[SplashPix]

@superhoga I'm with you on that.

What I wonder is, did Phil's fans of the late 60s and early 70s unwittingly trap him in a 'protest singer' furrow that he wanted to break out of?

Tom Paxton always said that Phil reckoned that after Dylan he would be the next great thing. He had the talent - a better writer and definitely a better singer than His Bobness.

Maybe Phil should have done what Dylan did: stick two fingers up at his fans and abandon where he had come from, musically.

[spacepatrolman]

@11xzxzxz its hard to get the country stations to play these kind of reverse crossover records they wouldnt play sweetheart of the rodeo by the byrds

[11xzxzxz]

@spacepatrolman Sure just one of the many injustices done to Phil by himself and others. I like the song to clarify what I wrote earlier .. but would like it even more if it was more rock or folk .. still good.

[spacepatrolman]

@11xzxzxz he uses the term troubador in this song when he died the headline in rolling stone was troubador phil ochs died song writer would have been better

[11xzxzxz]

OK all you protest kids who ignore and forgot who Phil was .. but this should have been a country hit as much as that hurts to say. Phil may have been second to Dylan but a second banana to no one.

[lonsumtravlr]

The best version is the one with Phil and John Lennon jamming. But this is great, so thanks for posting.

[kaokaomom]

The '90s San Francisco group "The Movie Stars" do a killer version of this on their "Head on a Platter" CD.

[89501234]

great song. an even better version is the one by marianne faithful.

[toez2001]

play the chords of love.....

Nobody like Phil, never will be.