Phil Ochs : Chords Of Fame

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.

• Category

  Music

[pete woods]

Phil is the forgotten genius of the 60s music scene

[cdadave83814]

Can't you just imagine how Phil would've viewed the George W. Bush Prezzidency? Phil is definitely needed in Days Like These.

[BustardBuzzard]

Rock On, Phil!

[rollinwiththeflow]

...or the Obama presidency...

[G58]

True my friend. Check out he best version I can find of this song here: watch?v=MzECo5YnMDM

Not only can she hold a note in the most authentically haunting manner, Melanie has real soul and means what she sings.

[shawn stipe]

they are all singing about crass topics like getting laid and getting paid.

[RaveFilm]

Nice playlist



[steve costa]

Bob Dylan once called Phil a "journalist" OK Phil is a journalist to Bob's Bozo!

[moneyhill9]

A Texas boy deep down.

[Misterhappynyc]

Someone is doing a great George Jones on the harmony. Great tune, I doubt Phil Ochs was sending up anything other than his own desire for glory here, the machine he couldn't get with to do so, and all the contradictions.

[Vic Sadot]

Thanks for posting Phil Ochs! Check out my tribute to Phil, my new "Broadside Balladeer" playlist here, and my May 1973 free download interview with Phil at No More Songs at w w w dot no more songs dot org There's a free mp3 of this song with John Lennon on electric slide guitar there too! Vic

[G58]

Indeed, C&W is a sort of hick subculture - entertainment for the range.

Talking of Hicks, where's Bill? We need him more than ever.