Death of a rebel


I dag er det præcis 30 år siden Phil Ochs begik selvmord i New York City, 35 år gammel. Han startede som succesfuld topical protestsanger i samme folk-miljø som også sendte Bob Dylan afsted, men endte med at lave plader og sange, der intet konkret havde med skabelsestiden i slutningen af 60’erne at gøre, og som derfor nemt kan høres i dag. De bedste af dem (“Rehearsals For Retirement” og “Greatest Hits – 50 Phil Ochs Fans Can’t Be Wrong”, sidstnævnte trods titel IKKE en opsamlingsplade), hjemsøgt af efterårsfarvet melankoli og længsel, er båret af et sjældent melodisk talent og ditto varm, udtryksfuld stemme. Phil Ochs endte ret langt ude, besat af tanken om at være den personificerede kombination af Las Vegas-style Elvis og socialist-frihedskæmperen Che Guevara. Det gik forfærdelig galt. These days er der næsten ingen der kender ham, hvilket er stor synd og skam. For overtegnede står han langt, langt over genrebesjælede samtids-ikoner som f.eks. Tim Buckley, Nick Drake og Tim Hardin. Tjek Phil Ochs ud!

ONE-WAY TICKET HOME

I’d like a one-way ticket home, ticket home
Where I can watch television, talk on the telephone
But every town I wander there’s a billboard on a throne
Ticket home
I want a ticket home

Does anybody know my name, or recognize my face
I must have come from somewhere, but I can’t recall the place
They dropped me at the matinee, they left without a trace
Ticket home
I want a ticket home

Elvis Presley is the king, I was at his crowning
My life just flashed before my eyes, I must be drowning

Seems like only yesterday I climbed aboard the plane
Raping distance in the skies, while diving in champagne
I would be in exile now, but everywhere’s the same
Ticket home
I want a ticket home

Elvis Presley is the king, I was at his crowning
My life just flashed before my eyes, I must be drowning

Seems like only yesterday I climbed aboard the plane
Raping distance in the sky, while diving in champagne
I would be in exile now, but everywhere’s the same
Ticket home
I want a ticket home

© Phil Ochs

2 tanker om “Death of a rebel”

  1. Phil Ochs er desværre en af de kunstnere jeg aldrig har fået lyttet til. Tak for reminderen – og så vil jeg nu mene at Tim Hardin (bortset fra et par evergreens) i lighed med Ochs er sørgelig glemt af de fleste.

  2. Jeg kan kun bakke op om Jens ord om Ochs. Selvom jeg nu også mener, at Ochs allerede tidligt i karrieren havde mange kvaliteter. Her en sang fra debutpladen “All the News That’s Fit to Sing” fra 1964

    “Knock On The Door”

    In many a time, in many a land,
    With many a gun in many a hand,
    They came by the night, they came by the day,
    Came with their guns to take us away

    With a knock on the door, knock on the door.
    Here they come to take one more,
    One more.

    Back in the days of the Roman Empire,
    They died by the cross and they died by the fire.
    In the stone coliseum, the crowd gave a roar,
    And it all began with that knock on the door

    Just a knock on the door, knock on the door.
    Here they come to take one more,
    One more.

    The years have all passed, we’ve reached modern times,
    The Nazis have come with their Nazi war crimes.
    Yes the power was there, the power was found,
    Six million people have heard that same sound

    That old knock on the door, knock on the door.
    Here they come to take one more,
    One more.

    Now there’s many new words and many new names,
    The banners have changed but the knock is the same.
    On the Soviet shores with right on their side,
    I wonder who knows how many have died

    With their knock on the door, knock on the door.
    Here they come to take one more,
    One more.

    Look over the oceans, look over the lands,
    Look over the leaders with the blood on their hands.
    And open your eyes and see what they do,
    When they knock over their friend they’re knocking for you

    With their knock on the door, knock on the door.
    Here they come to take one more,
    With their knock on the door, knock on the door.
    Here they come to take one more,
    One more.

    (c) Phil Ochs

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