If He Only Knew...remembering Phil Ochs

I POSTED THIS BACK IN FEB. OF2008 THIS IS A RE-PRINT AS I MENTIONED PHIL IN A RECENT ARTICLE AND THERE WAS MUCH INTEREST IN HIM....SIGNS OF THE TIMES PHIL WE NEED YOU MORE THAN EVER!                                                                                                                                  The Appalachian Mountains are truly beautiful this morning having been covered with fresh snow overnight. With this beautiful backdrop my mind wanders and focuses on another time and a friend long gone. I guess it's the bi-polar I live with that can take me, and does, from a beautiful environment to the sadness that tends to linger inside. My friend and a musical influence of mine Phil Ochs also suffered from bi-polar in a time when it was not as well known as it is today. On April 9th, 1976, after loosing the fight, he took his belt walked into his sisters bathroom, put the belt around his neck lodged it in the door and kicked the chair he was standing on away. Phil died that day, by his own hand from a desperate decision he made. Depression, and bi-polar won. WE, lost.

 Phil was a singer/songwriter commonly referred to as a protest song singer in the chaotic 1960's. He wrote over 100 songs in his lifetime and recorded 8 records. Many have been put together as compilations after he was gone. I strongly suggest anyone who is not familiar with his work to listen to the music, his words, and how relevant they still are today. Phil's end was pushed by a thought in his head that he had no more music, purpose, or cause to fight for. How wrong he was had he only known how much songs like I Ain't Marching Anymore or Is There Anybody Here, would be today and how relevant. Once again we are in a War that is not popular, being questioned and debated. Phil would have jumped all over The Invading the Wrong Country Issue, while of course weakening the forces that are looking for the person who attacked us. That scenario has Ochs written all over it as do so many others A personal favorite of mine is Hallibertan being a leading re-builder of Iraq and being caught over charging the invoices they submit, which get paid. Who doesn't realize that there are strong ties between the current administration and that company that SHOULD cause them do be disqualified but instead they are awarded no bid contracts and pile on extra costs. Yet another fertile write for Phil. His songs were full of satirical content protesting ironic events with his weapon of choice...words and music. He would not have had to wait long to find words or a cause again. I  can here him say "Well Folks, I was away for a while but couldn't, just couldn't enjoy retirement" or a similar line, strumming his guitar between songs. No that can't happen, but the songs he did play and write still can. Look Phil up on the net and see the artists that consider him a major influence, you may be surprised as the list goes from singer/ songwriters on out to punk and alternative rock. Yes we do have need to protest, to question, as there is much to question in the 2000 era as there was in the 1960's. Phil Ochs showed us the way. For him as well as our own selves we still should wake up and question when our leaders run wild and lack control or good judgement. Least we forget, it is our right in this wonderful country, and rights that are not exercised are as good as lost In some countries people die or go to prison in a battle to gain, what many of us don't even use. Phil may have found an end to the words that once came so freely as the Vietnam war ended and scenes shifted. It would have been hard to find a cause or a belief as strong as being against war and I am certain that Phil was a casualty of that war. The home front soldier that died when the war he fought ended, seeing no other good reason to go on. Listen to Phil's music and be inspired as his writes from the 60's are so relevant today. That is the legacy Phil never knew and his music stands the test of time as our leaders repeat mistakes that should have been long gone.