REMEMBERING PHIL OCHS Born El Paso Texas, Dec. 19. 1940 died April 9, 1976

Sonny Ochs wrote"

"On April 9, 1976 my brother, Phil Ochs, ended his life by hanging himself. He was 35 years old. He had written over 100 songs, and had traveled to many countries. He suffered from manic-depression and had been experiencing a long term writer's block. Many of his songs had been recorded by artists such as John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Ronnie Gilbert, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Pete Seeger."

Speaking to Allen Ginsburg about Phil Ochs I was the one who asked why someone hadn't done something to have stopped Phil from his destructive life style. Allen was quick to conject "that some tried but couldn't".  My immediate thought was why didn't they try harder and how Phil was pushed into it by an unholy alliance of forces against him.

As I was later reminded under similar circumstances of Phil's death when my own brother died and all the powers who could of done something had some excuse as to why they didn't (I was locked out of it).

Till this day I still don't know why as Phil came from amongst those who were allegedly "activists" and "sincerely cared".

Frankly I think the Great American Middle Class life style has been the great obstruction to the development of a true progressive movement in this country as the masses are manipulated by Big Brother, Big Corporations, a big Lunatic Fringe, and the Mediocre Middle giving the appearance of  choices between the lesser of evils that is occasionally exposed time to time, as there are no choices or lessers of two evils, merely those correct and incorrect.

Phil Ochs during the period of the Pinochet Coup and Dictatorship in Chile almost single handed organized in the Felt Forum Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, 09/05/74, "An Evening With Salvador Allende"(aka The Friends Of Chile Benefit Concert) to benefit refugees fleeing Chile he was a comrade to be missed. In May 1975, he celebrated the end of the Viet Nam War at a concert at Central Park." (all while not yet recovered from his drinking and emotional problems. Andrew Zito a Patron of Che's and close proximity to Phil (Phil Ochs proprietor and star)  was allowed great insight.

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Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends
By Phil Ochs


C D C D
Look outside the window, there's a woman being grabbed
C Em F G
They've dragged her to the bushes and now she's being stabbed
E Am
Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain
F Am Dm G
But Monopoly is so much fun, I'd hate to blow the game
C Am Eb
And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Cm F
Outside of a small circle of friends.

Riding down the highway, yes, my back is getting stiff
Thirteen cars are piled up, they're hanging on a cliff.
Maybe we should pull them back with our towing chain
But we gotta move and we might get sued and it looks like it's gonna rain
And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends.

Sweating in the ghetto with the (colored/Panthers) and the poor
The rats have joined the babies who are sleeping on the floor
Now wouldn't it be a riot if they really blew their tops?
But they got too much already and besides we got the cops
And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends.

Oh there's a dirty paper using sex to make a sale
The Supreme Court was so upset, they sent him off to jail.
Maybe we should help the fiend and take away his fine. (*)
But we're busy reading Playboy and the Sunday New York Times
And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends

Smoking marihuana is more fun than drinking beer,
But a friend of ours was captured and they gave him thirty years
Maybe we should raise our voices, ask somebody why
But demonstrations are a drag, besides we're much too high
And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends

Oh look outside the window, there's a woman being grabbed
They've dragged her to the bushes and now she's being stabbed
Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain
But Monopoly is so much fun, I'd hate to blow the game
And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends

[ Additional verse, 1974 ]
Down in Santiago where they took away our mines
We cut off all their money so they robbed the storehouse blind
Now maybe we should ask some questions, maybe shed a tear
But I bet you a copper penny, it cannot happen here
And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends


Notes:
Chords supplied by [email protected] (Rocky Bivens)

* This line is often misquoted as follows:
"Maybe we should take a stand and send the fiend a fine"
This compleatly reverses the meaning of the verse and the intent of the song. However on There and Now - Live in Vancouver 1968, Phil himself sings it this way, although, this is probably accidental as he also forgot a portion of the previous verse in that performance.

The first verse is a commentary on the murder of Kitty Genovese. She was murdered March 14th, 1964 in NYC. Dave Marulli supplies the following about this incident:

On March 13, 1964, a 28 year old New York City woman gained world-wide recognition for her role in an event which even today is remembered by people everywhere, creating a legacy still held up as an example of American values, or lack thereof. There can be no doubt, however, that Kitty Genovese would have given all her worldly possessions to have avoided the global "fame" acquired on that Friday the 13th that gave to her the ultimate horror associated with this symbol of bad luck.

Even though 47,000 New York City residents have been murdered since, hers remains the most tragic because 38 "citizens" awakened by her cries for help watched as she was assaulted not once, but three times over a half hour period. Not only did they fail to come to her aid, they also failed to call the police for help. Vincent Mosely, her assailant, stabbed her several times, then left, only to return a few minutes later to cut her up a little more.

During his brief absence, these "decent" New Yorkers turned off their lights and went back to sleep, only to be awakened again by this second assault, a scene repeated a third time, after which she no longer needed the assistance she failed to get the first, second or even the third, and final time.

During Mosely's trial, witnesses made several statements, but one stands above the rest as a symbol of this tragic event and is the reason for its world-wide infamy: "We didn't want to get involved." No surprise to Mosely, for as he said: "I knew they wouldn't do anything - they never do."

Hundreds, if not thousands, of studies were done about this event and book after book after book announced the downfall of American values because of it.

One study concluded that on average, if more than 4 people witness an event, nobody will do anything. Each person will say to themselves "I don't have to get involved since there are other people here who can help."


THANKS PHIL SEE YOU SOON




 



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