When I was 16, back in 68, I was working my butt off for Gene McCarthy. He held a rally at Tiger Stadium. Phil sang there. After the speeches and the songs, Phil came down and talked to the kids working the rally. None of us was old enough to vote. I saw him many times after that. He played at almost every demonstration I went to, and I went to a lot. I was living in Dublin when he died. It was devastating. Something uniquely American had left us
@@tzaph67 Probably the song's from Amchitka Concert, 1970. www.discogs.com/Joni-Mitchell-James-Taylor-2-Phil-Ochs-Amchitka-The-1970-Concert-That-Launched-Greenpeace/master/853768
I have a theory about this song. A guy I knew, on a Seattle FM station, announced Phil Ochs's suicide this way: "Mr Ochs checked out of his own volition yesterday." Sounds fair, doesn't it? We do have the right, surely, to end our own lives. But not, for instance, by jumping out a window when there might be people below. In Ochs's case, he left a note saying "There are no more songs," to explain his suicide. But what he actually did was give his sister nightmares, potentially, for years to come by hanging himself in her living room. What a greeting for a nice lady coming home! I agree with Margaret Ross that Ochs has a beautiful voice. He's also an accomplished guitar player. But the poor guy thought about himself too much and not enough about his sister.
Do you have any way of knowing just how badly Ochs' mental state was when he ended it? That his despair quite possibly overwhelmed any thoughts of his sister and other loved ones? Your judgmental self-righteousness is sickening.
You’re easily sickened. The guy hanged himself in his sister’s living room. Do you have testimony from God or someone present that Ochs was too confused to realize what this would do to his sister? He was able to write a note, echoing perhaps his most recent song. He sounds conscious to me. (You are a moron.)
@@roberthill799 I think that after his voice was destroyed, Phil lost everything in his life that he valued. I think his “no more songs” which he wrote on his suicide note embodied his despair. He turned himself into John Train, told people Phil Ochs was dead. It was tragic.I met hm when I was 16 and working for Gene McCarthy.He played at a rally at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. After the speeches and the singing, he came down to talk to the kids working the rally. He played at most of the demonstrations I went to between 66 and 72, when I left for Europe. I was living in Dublin when he died. I was devastated.
@@nbenefielI wonder how much it would have been changed if someone persuaded him to wait for his body of work to catch on and then he could just wave and smile.
When I was 16, back in 68, I was working my butt off for Gene McCarthy. He held a rally at Tiger Stadium. Phil sang there. After the speeches and the songs, Phil came down and talked to the kids working the rally. None of us was old enough to vote. I saw him many times after that. He played at almost every demonstration I went to, and I went to a lot. I was living in Dublin when he died. It was devastating. Something uniquely American had left us
Incredible tune that will remain relevant forever. Phil an amazing legend
Phil we so miss your great gifts!
RIP Phil!
The Great song..!!
And once I knew a sage, who sang upon the stage, he told about about the world, his lover...
That beautiful voice.
ikr.. that's why I felt the need to upload this, a live version, yet so perfectly sung.
best version ive heard so far
absolutely-lovely. What a find.
Agreed. The studio version is overproduced.
When Phil’s voice was destroyed, he lost everything.
I believe that happened subsequent to Phil being assaulted in South America...
Phil was assaulted in Tanzania, not in South America. He seemed to be doing OK before that.
he thought he did anyway
was this beautiful acoustic version ever released on a CD?
Yes.
Which album is this on?
@@tzaph67 Probably the song's from Amchitka Concert, 1970.
www.discogs.com/Joni-Mitchell-James-Taylor-2-Phil-Ochs-Amchitka-The-1970-Concert-That-Launched-Greenpeace/master/853768
which CD is it on?
Amchitka
I have a theory about this song. A guy I knew, on a Seattle FM station, announced Phil Ochs's suicide this way: "Mr Ochs checked out of his own volition yesterday." Sounds fair, doesn't it? We do have the right, surely, to end our own lives. But not, for instance, by jumping out a window when there might be people below. In Ochs's case, he left a note saying "There are no more songs," to explain his suicide. But what he actually did was give his sister nightmares, potentially, for years to come by hanging himself in her living room. What a greeting for a nice lady coming home! I agree with Margaret Ross that Ochs has a beautiful voice. He's also an accomplished guitar player. But the poor guy thought about himself too much and not enough about his sister.
I think that, when his voice was destroyed , Phil lost everything.
Do you have any way of knowing just how badly Ochs' mental state was when he ended it? That his despair quite possibly overwhelmed any thoughts of his sister and other loved ones? Your judgmental self-righteousness is sickening.
You’re easily sickened. The guy hanged himself in his sister’s living room. Do you have testimony from God or someone present that Ochs was too confused to realize what this would do to his sister? He was able to write a note, echoing perhaps his most recent song. He sounds conscious to me. (You are a moron.)
@@roberthill799 I think that after his voice was destroyed, Phil lost everything in his life that he valued. I think his “no more songs” which he wrote on his suicide note embodied his despair. He turned himself into John Train, told people Phil Ochs was dead. It was tragic.I met hm when I was 16 and working for Gene McCarthy.He played at a rally at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. After the speeches and the singing, he came down to talk to the kids working the rally. He played at most of the demonstrations I went to between 66 and 72, when I left for Europe. I was living in Dublin when he died. I was devastated.
@@nbenefielI wonder how much it would have been changed if someone persuaded him to wait for his body of work to catch on and then he could just wave and smile.