List of songs recorded by Phil Ochs
American singer-songwriter Phil Ochs [ 1] protest songs and topical songs to ballads and folk rock . In concert, Ochs sometimes covered songs made famous by other performers. On one occasion, during the height of Beatlemania in 1964, he and Eric Andersen performed The Beatles ' "I Should Have Known Better " at a hootenanny , something Ochs described as "very much out of character with this whole program".[ 2] Elvis Presley 's tailor) and going on tour with a rock band ; during the brief concert tour, he sang his own material along with medleys of songs by Buddy Holly , Elvis, and Merle Haggard .[ 3]
Ochs never had a hit single , but one of his records broke into the charts . "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends " reached No. 20 in Los Angeles and was No. 119 on Billboard ' s national "Hot Prospect" listing.[ 4] Joan Baez had a hit in the U.K. with her cover of "There but for Fortune ", a song written by Ochs.[ 5] Billboard charts [ 6] [ 7]
Ochs' songs, "Bwatue " and "Niko Mchumba Ngombe", which he co-wrote with two African musicians named Dijiba and Bukasa.[ 8] popular music with world music . Critics note that they predate Paul Simon 's Graceland [ 9] [ 10] Lingala , and the lyrics to "Niko Mchumba Ngombe" are in Swahili . The songs were released as a single in Africa, and most Ochs fans never heard of them until they were included on a compilation album in 1997.[ 11]
This is a list of all songs recorded by Ochs that have been officially released. (Camp Favorites studio recordings released during his lifetime, the album title and date of album release have been included. For posthumous releases and demo recordings , the approximate date of recording is shown as well. In the case of live recordings , the date of recording and album on which the track appears have been included. Some recordings have been re-released on compilation albums; their reissue has not been noted.
Except where indicated, all songs were written by Ochs.
A
B
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Me"
Studio recording:
About Ochs and his circle of friends.[ 13]
"The Ballad of Alferd Packer" (also titled "The Ballad of Alfred Packer" )
Demo recordings:
About Alferd Packer , a Rocky Mountain guide who ate the other members of his party.[ 14]
"The Ballad of Billie Sol"
Studio recording:
About Billie Sol Estes , who was accused of swindling investors, banks, and the federal government of $24 million.[ 15]
"The Ballad of Davey Moore"
See "Davey Moore "
"The Ballad of John Henry Faulk"
Demo recording:
About John Henry Faulk , a popular radio show host who fell victim to the blacklist when he was falsely accused of being a Communist .[ 16]
"The Ballad of Medgar Evers"
See "Too Many Martyrs "
"The Ballad of Oxford (Jimmie Meredith)" (also titled "The Ballad of Oxford, Mississippi" )
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
About James Meredith , the first African American student to attend the University of Mississippi .[ 17]
"The Ballad of Rubén Jaramillo"
See "Jaramillo "
"The Ballad of U.S. Steel"
Demo recording:
"The Ballad of the Carpenter"
Studio recording:
Written by Ewan MacColl .[ 18]
"Ballad of William Worthy"
Demo recording:
Studio recordings:
About U.S. journalist William Worthy , who traveled to Cuba despite State Department restrictions.[ 19]
"Basket in the Pool"
Studio recording:
About a drunken incident at a party Ochs attended, in which he threw a gift basket into the host's swimming pool.[ 20]
"The Bells"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
Lyrics adapted from the poem by Edgar Allan Poe .[ 21] The 1969 live recording features Allen Ginsberg on bells.[ 22]
"Bobby Dylan Record"
Demo recording:
"Bound for Glory"
Studio recording:
About U.S. folk singer Woody Guthrie .[ 23]
"Boy in Ohio"
Studio recording:
About Ochs's childhood in Columbus, Ohio .[ 24]
"Bracero"
Live recording:
About Mexican migrant workers under the Bracero Program .[ 25]
"Bullets of Mexico"
See "Jaramillo "
"Bwatue "
Studio recording:
Written by Ochs, Dijiba, and Bukasa.[ 26]
C
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Canons of Christianity"
(also titled "Cannons of Christianity" )
Live recording:
"Celia"
Studio recording:
A love song inspired by William J. Pomeroy and Celia Mariano, a married couple who were imprisoned in the Philippines .[ 27]
"Changes"
Demo recording:
Live recordings:
Inspired by Ochs's separation from his wife.[ 28]
"Changing Hands"
Demo recording:
Broadside Reunion (1972, recorded 1963)
"Chords of Fame"
Studio recording:
Live recordings:
"Christine Keeler"
Demo recording:
About Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies , two women at the heart of the Profumo affair .[ 29]
"City Boy"
Studio recording:
"Colored Town"
Studio recording:
"The Confession"
Demo recording:
"Cops of the World"
Live recording:
About U.S. intervention in the affairs of foreign countries .[ 30]
"Cross My Heart "
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
Live recordings:
The studio version was released as a single in 1967.[ 31]
"Crucifixion "
Studio recording:
Live recordings:
About the rise and fall of a hero, and the public's role in creating, destroying, and deifying its heroes. The song usually is interpreted as an allegory likening the life and assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy to the career of Jesus, although the song may refer to other heroes as well.[ 32] [ 33]
D
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Davey Moore" (also titled "The Ballad of Davey Moore" )
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
About Davey Moore , a boxer who died as a result of injuries sustained during a match.[ 34]
"Days of Decision"
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
"Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore?"
Studio recording:
"The Doll House"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
"Don't Try Again"
Demo recording:
"Do What I Have to Do"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
Sing for Freedom (May 1964)Written in May 1964 at a Freedom Song workshop at Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia.[ 35]
"Draft Dodger Rag "
Studio recording:
Live recording:
Evening Concerts Volume 1 (July 1964)
E
F
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"First Snow"
Demo recording:
"The Floods of Florence"
Studio recording:
"Flower Lady"
Studio recording:
"A Fool Such as I "
Live recording:
Written by Bill Trader.[ 37]
G
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Gas Station Women"
Studio recording:
"Going Down to Mississippi"
Studio recording:
H
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Half a Century High"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
"The Harder They Fall"
Studio recordings:
The single version of "The Harder They Fall" has never been included on any album or compilation.[ 8]
"Hazard, Kentucky"
Demo recordings:
About the poor work and living conditions of coal workers in Kentucky.[ 38]
"Heartbreak Hotel "
Live recording:
Written by Thomas Durden, Elvis Presley , and Mae Boren Axton .[ 39] Performed as part of a medley of Elvis Presley songs.[ 39]
"Here's to the State of Mississippi "
Studio recording:
Inspired by the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in Mississippi during 1964.[ 40]
"Here's to the State of Richard Nixon"
Live recording:
Recorded at Max's Kansas City in New York City.[ 8] A revised version of "Here's to the State of Mississippi", with lyrics updated to refer to U.S. President Richard Nixon .[ 42]
"The Highwayman"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
Lyrics adapted from the poem by Alfred Noyes .[ 43]
"The Hills of West Virginia"
Studio recordings:
"How Long"
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
"Hunger and Cold"
Demo recording:
Broadside Reunion (1972, recorded 1963)
I
J
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Jaramillo"
(also titled "The Ballad of Rubén Jaramillo" and "Bullets of Mexico" )
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
About Mexican revolutionary Rubén Jaramillo .[ 49]
"Jim Dean of Indiana"
Studio recording:
About actor James Dean .[ 50]
"Joe Hill"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
About labor activist and songwriter Joe Hill .[ 51]
K
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Kansas City Bomber "
Studio recording:
Written as the theme song for the film Kansas City Bomber [ 52]
"Knock on the Door"
Studio recording:
L
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Links on the Chain"
Studio recordings:
Live recording:
About the relationship between the labor movement and the Civil Rights Movement .[ 53] The 1964 studio recording is credited to the Broadside Singers; Ochs sings lead.[ 54]
"Lou Marsh"
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
About Lou Marsh, a social worker and former Yale Divinity School student who died trying to prevent a gang war in New York City.[ 55] [ 56]
"Love Me, I'm a Liberal "
Live recording:
M
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"The Marines Have Landed on the Shores of Santo Domingo"
See "Santo Domingo "
"The Men Behind the Guns"
Studio recording:
Lyrics adapted from the poem by John Rooney.[ 57]
"Miranda"
Studio recording:
"Mona Lisa "
Live recording:
Written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston .[ 57]
"Morning"
Demo recording:
Live recording:
Live recording from Bob Fass 's radio program on WBAI in New York City.[ 58]
"My Baby Left Me "
Live recording:
Written by Arthur Crudup .[ 57] Performed as part of a medley of Elvis Presley songs.[ 57]
"My Kingdom for a Car"
Studio recording:
"My Life"
Studio recording:
N
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Never Again"
Demo recording:
"New Town"
Demo recording:
"Niko Mchumba Ngombe"
Studio recording:
B-side of "Bwatue " single (1973) Written by Ochs, Dijiba, and Bukasa.[ 59]
"No Christmas in Kentucky"
Studio recording:
About coal miners and their families.[ 38]
"No More Songs"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
The studio recording was the last song on the last studio album released during Ochs's lifetime.[ 60]
"Not Fade Away "
Live recording:
Written by Charles Hardin and Norman Petty .[ 59] Performed as part of a medley of Buddy Holly songs.[ 59]
O
P
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"The Party"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
"The Passing of My Life"
Demo recording:
"Paul Crump"
Demo recording:
Studio recordings:
About Paul Crump , a death row prisoner whose sentence was commuted .[ 65] [ 66]
"Pleasures of the Harbor"
Studio recording:
Live recordings:
Inspired by the John Wayne film The Long Voyage Home [ 67]
"Power and the Glory "
Demo recording:
Studio recordings:
Live recording:
July 1963 (Evening Concerts Volume 1 ) An American patriotic anthem.[ 68] On the 1974 single, Ochs was accompanied by a fife and drum corps .[ 69]
"Pretty Smart on My Part"
Studio recording:
R
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Ready Teddy "
Live recording:
Written by Robert Blackwell and John Marascalco .
Performed as part of a medley of Elvis Presley songs.[ 70]
"Rehearsals for Retirement"
Studio recording:
"Remember Me"
Demo recording:
"Ringing of Revolution"
(also titled "Rhythms of Revolution" )
Demo recording:
Live recordings:
"Rivers of the Blood"
Demo recording:
S
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Santo Domingo"
Live recordings:
Inspired by the U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic during April 1965.[ 71]
"Say What I Have to Say"
See "Do What I Have to Do "
"School Days "
Live recording:
Written by Chuck Berry .[ 72]
"The Scorpion Departs But Never Returns"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
Inspired by the disappearance of the USS Scorpion (SSN-589) , a nuclear-powered attack submarine that disappeared at sea during May 1968.[ 73]
"Song of a Soldier"
Demo recording:
"Song of My Returning"
Studio recording:
"Spaceman"
Demo recording:
"Spanish Civil War Song" (also titled "Spanish Lament" )
Demo recordings:
T
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"Talkin' Cuban Crisis"
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
About the Cuban Missile Crisis , a confrontation between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba in October 1962.[ 74]
"Talking Airplane Disaster"
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
New Folks Volume 2 (1964)
"Talking Birmingham Jam"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
Newport Broadside (July 1963)About the Birmingham campaign during the Civil Rights Movement .[ 74]
"Talkin' Pay TV"
Demo recording:
Inspired by cable television .[ 75]
"Talkin' Vietnam "
(also titled "Talking Vietnam Blues" )
Studio recording:
Live recording:
About the growing involvement of the U.S. in the Vietnam War .[ 76]
"Tape from California"
Studio recording:
Live recording:
"Ten Cents a Coup"
Live recording:
About U.S. President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew .[ 77]
"That's the Way It's Gonna Be"
Demo recording:
"That's What I Want to Hear"
Demo recording:
Studio recording:
"That Was the President"
Studio recording:
About the life and assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy .[ 78]
"There but for Fortune "
Studio recording:
New Folks Volume 2 (1964)Live recordings:
[ 79]
"Think It Over"
Live recording:
Written by Buddy Holly , Norman Petty , and Jerry Allison .[ 80] Performed as part of a medley of Buddy Holly songs.[ 80]
"The Thresher"
Studio recording:
About the USS Thresher (SSN-593) , a nuclear-powered attack submarine that sank by accident on April 10, 1963,.[ 74]
"Time Was"
Demo recordings:
"A Toast to Those Who Are Gone"
Studio recording:
"Too Many Martyrs"
(also titled "The Ballad of Medgar Evers" )
Studio recording:
Live recordings:
Newport Broadside (July 1963)Written by Ochs and Bob Gibson .[ 81] About the assassination of NAACP leader Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963.[ 82]
"The Trial"
Studio recording:
U
Song title
Recordings
Notes
"United Fruit"
Demo recording:
W
See also
References
^ Cohen, pp. 241–272.
^ Ochs, Phil (November 1, 1964). The Broadside Tapes 1 ^ Schumacher, pp. 227–233.
^ a b Eliot, p. 137.
^ Warner, Jay (2008). Notable Moments of Women in Music 133 . ISBN 978-1-4234-2951-7 . Retrieved May 26, 2011 . ^ "Billboard singles" . Billboard . Retrieved February 3, 2009 .^ Schumacher, p. 95.
^ a b c Cohen, p. 188.
^ Brend, p. 109.
^ Strong, Martin C. (1998). The Great Rock Discography ISBN 978-0-86241-827-4 . Retrieved May 26, 2011 . ^ Cohen, p. 35.
^ a b c d Cohen, p. 243.
^ Schumacher, p. 223.
^ All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul ISBN 978-0-87930-653-3 . Retrieved May 26, 2011 .^ Cohen, p. 7.
^ Eliot, p. 62.
^ Heylin, Clinton (2009). Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1957–1973 ISBN 978-1-55652-843-9 . Retrieved May 26, 2011 . ^ Cohen, p. 244.
^ Eliot, p. 70.
^ Schumacher, pp. 217, 223.
^ Schumacher, p. 76.
^ Cohen, p. 25.
^ Eliot, p. 63.
^ Schumacher, pp. 223–224.
^ Schumacher, p. 116.
^ Cohen, p. 246.
^ Fuller, Ken (September 1, 2009). "Farewell, Celia" . The Daily Tribune the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2018 . ^ Schumacher, pp. 107–108.
^ Kaplan, Paul (1989). The Broadside Tapes 1 Smithsonian/Folkways . p. 1. SF40008. ^ Eyerman, Ron; Jamison, Andrew (1998). Music and Social Movements: Mobilizing Traditions in the Twentieth Century ISBN 978-0-521-62045-1 . Retrieved May 26, 2011 . ^ Cohen, p. 187.
^ a b c Brend, p. 106.
^ Schumacher, p. 110.
^ Eliot, p. 55.
^ Sing for Freedom (LP). Folkways . 1980. p. 2. FD5488.^ a b Cohen, p. 251.
^ Cohen, p. 252.
^ a b Schumacher, p. 74.
^ a b Cohen, p. 253.
^ Cohen, pp. 12–13.
^ Cohen, p. 224.
^ Schumacher, p. 255.
^ a b c Schumacher, p. 91.
^ Brend, p. 102.
^ Unterberger, Richie (2002). Turn! Turn! Turn!: The '60s Folk-Rock Revolution ISBN 978-0-87930-703-5 . Retrieved May 26, 2011 .^ Cohen, p. 15.
^ a b c d Cohen, p. 255.
^ Cohen, p. 12.
^ Shorris, Earl (2004). The Life and Times of Mexico 336 . ISBN 978-0-393-05926-7 ^ Schumacher, pp. 225–226.
^ Schumacher, p. 185.
^ Schumacher, pp. 263–264, 271.
^ Schumacher, p. 84.
^ Cohen, p. 206.
^ Berg, Jay (June 13, 1976). "Growing Up With Phil Ochs" . The New York Times . Retrieved March 27, 2010 . (subscription required) ^ Cassels, Lou (February 8, 1963). " . The Dispatch . Retrieved March 27, 2010 . ^ a b c d Cohen, p. 259.
^ Farewells & Fantasies Elektra . 1997. p. 91. R2 73518.{{cite AV media notes }}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link )^ a b c d e f Cohen, p. 260.
^ Schumacher, p. 226.
^ "Review: Phil Ochs – On My Way " . No Depression . Retrieved February 20, 2011 .^ Cohen, p. 261.
^ Cunningham, Sis (1976). Sings for Broadside Folkways . p. 2. FD5320.^ Schumacher, p. 149.
^ Connelly, Dan (2007). "I Ain't Marching Anymore" . In Barker, David (ed.). 33-1/3 Greatest Hits, Volume 1 . New York: Continuum. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-8264-1903-3 . Retrieved May 26, 2011 . ^ "Governor Spares Condemned Slayer in Illinois" . The New York Times . Retrieved March 27, 2010 .(subscription required) ^ Schumacher, p. 118.
^ Schumacher, pp.59–60.
^ Cohen, p. 36.
^ Cohen, p. 256.
^ Schumacher, p. 114.
^ Cohen, p. 264.
^ Schumacher, p. 205.
^ a b c DeLeon, David (1994). Leaders from the 1960s: A Biographical Sourcebook of American Activism ISBN 978-0-313-27414-5 . Retrieved May 26, 2011 . ^ "SAM" . Winston-Salem Journal [dead link ] (subscription required) ^ Perone, James E. (2001). Songs of the Vietnam Conflict . Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-313-31528-2 ^ Estey, Chris (2010). "Phil Ochs Greatest Hits" . In Powers, Ann (ed.). Best Music Writing 2010 289–290 . ISBN 978-0-306-81925-4 . Retrieved May 26, 2011 . ^ Cohen, p. 11.
^ Phil Ochs interviewed on the Pop Chronicles ^ a b Cohen, p. 267.
^ Cohen, p. 268.
^ Schumacher, p. 62.
^ Edmonds, Ben (1997). Farewells & Fantasies Elektra . p. 75. R2 73518. ^ a b c Cohen, p. 24.
^ Eliot, pp. 50–51.
^ Mackay, Cliff (April 27, 1963). "Assassins Ambushed Postman" . Baltimore Afro-American . Retrieved January 30, 2011 .
Works cited
Further reading
Ochs, Phil (1964). Songs of Phil Ochs . New York: Appleseed Music. OCLC 41480512 . Ochs, Phil (1968). The War Is Over . New York: Collier Books. OCLC 1384159 . Ochs, Phil (1978). The Complete Phil Ochs . Hollywood, Calif.: Almo Publications. ISBN 978-0-89705-010-4
External links
Studio albums Live albums Other albums Posthumous releases Posthumous Interview album Singles Other songs Documentaries Tributes Related
