4 September 2010

Saturday morning sing-a-long...

I'm not a roaring music buff, nor was I amongst the living during the 1960s. However, in a recent post over at Go Lassie Go, Joan mentioned the American singer-songwriter Phil Ochs, who I for one had never heard of, never mind forgotten. Much of this may well be owned to his early drink-sodden death in 1976, at the age of only 35. Ochs was of the vintage of civil rights protest and anti-Vietnam war rallies and his lyrics speak to those political commitments. Interest snagged by the rendition of "I ain't marchin' anymore" Joan includes, a bit of further rummaging revealed that I'd actually heard Christy Moore singing "Changes" before, which unbeknownst to me was written by Ochs. My search also yielded this caustically jaunty song, "Outside of a small circle of friends". One commenter describes it as a "social apathy ditty". A extremely well-turned and apt description of its sunny mordancy, I'd say...

7 comments :

  1. Sweet baby Jebus Lallands, I thought you were my age at least...nice yin young maister.

    I still ain't marching anymore...

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  2. As someone born mid-sixties, I've just learned to love you a little less.
    Everything about this song screams 'Elvis Costello'. He really should record a version (and give me some of the profits for suggesting it).

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  3. One of the perogatives of the anonymous blogger, Conan - such details are left mysterious. Heaven knows what my readers' best guesses are about me. For one, you clearly suspected more advanced bufferdom!

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  4. That you love me at all is obviously heartening, voiceofourown. Dare I ask the specific cause of your diminishing affection? It hadn't occurred to me, but I can see why you mention the Elvis Costello. No doubt he is a regular trawler of my comment section and all you need do is kick back and wait for your royalties to gush in.

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  5. "That you love me at all is obviously heartening, voiceofourown. Dare I ask the specific cause of your diminishing affection?"

    To be possessed of such sagacity and yet a stripling that the 60's never touched . As my 46th birthday (and bufferdom) approaches, you can surely understand the bitter tinge to my envy.

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  6. Ha! I don't know about my the extent of sagacity, but I do appreciate the compliment, voiceofourown.

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  7. Ochs passed me by entirely also, glad to make his acquaintance ta LAPW. But for apathy no one surely beats Neil Innes - Lie down and be counted.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn3LLK7dczA

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