I'm Gonna Say It Now: The Writings of Phil Ochs

by Phil Ochs, Meegan Lee Ochs (Contributor), David Cohen (Editor)

Phil Ochs is known primarily as a songwriter; however, his oeuvre extends far beyond that--to short stories, poetry, criticism, journalism, and satire, all of which are included in I'm Gonna Say It Now: The Writings of Phil Ochs, which represents the majority of what Ochs wrote outside of his large circle of songs. This comprehensive tome presents another side of the famous topical songwriter, showcasing his prose and poetry from across the full span of his life.

From prizewinning stories and clear-eyed reporting while a journalism major in college to music criticism, satires, and political pieces written while part of the burgeoning folk scene of New York City in the early 1960s and during the tumultuous Vietnam War era; from sharp and lyrical poems (many previously unpublished) to reviews, features, and satires written while living in Los Angeles and the final, elegiac coda writings from near the end of his life--I'm Gonna Say It Now presents the complete picture.

The book includes many rare or nearly impossible to find Ochs pieces, as well as previously unpublished works sourced from the unique holdings in the Ochs Archives at the Woody Guthrie Center. Additionally, never-before-seen reproductions from Ochs's journals, notebooks, and manuscripts provide a closer look at the hand of the artist, giving a deeper context and understanding to his writings. Never before published photographs of Ochs bestow the visual cherry on top.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 15, 2020

About the author

Philip David Ochs grew up in a non-political middle class family. While in college at Ohio State University, he met Jim Glover who became his roommate & whose father was Phil's political teacher. It was during this time, while he was majoring in journalism, that he formed his political beliefs & started putting them to music.
After 3 years of college, Phil dropped out & went to New York City. This was during the early 60s when things were booming in Greenwich Village. Phil started out singing at open mikes & passing the hat. By '64 he was well enough established to release his 1st album, "All the News That's Fit to Sing". His 2nd album, "I Ain't Marching Anymore", was released in '65. By '66 he was able to sell out Carnegie Hall for a solo concert.
Most of Phil's songs were very political, some humorous & some very serious. He wrote about the topics of the day-civil rights, VietNam, hungry miners, & personalities such as Billy Sol Estes, JFK, Medgar Evers, Wm Worthy & Lou Marsh.
In '67 he signed with A&M Records where his 1st release was "Pleasures of the Harbor" in which he used heavily orchestrated arrangements for the 1st time. Some fans criticized this change, while others accepted it.
Phil continued to perform & travel around the world. While in Dar Es Salaam, he was mugged & lost the top 3 notes of his vocal range. This event seemed to send him on a downward spiral. His last years were troubled ones. He suffered from manic depression plus an affinity for the bottle. He committed suicide on 4/9/76, aged 35.
Many of Phil's songs have been covered by other artists. Some of his best known songs are: "Changes", "There But For Fortune", "I Ain't Marching Anymore", "Draft Dodger", "Small Circle of Friends", Crucifixion" & "When I'm Gone".
There've been 2 biographies about him. Death of a Rebel by Marc Elliot in '77 & There but for Fortune: The Life of Phil Ochs by Michael Schumacher in '96. Rhino Records released a 3-CD compilation titled Farewells & Fantasies in '97 which includes all his best known works plus some previously unreleased tracks. Sliced Bread Records released a double CD of covers of Phil's songs performed by 28 artists in '98 entitled The Songs of Phil Ochs.

Reviews

[Tim Null · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm Gonna Say It Now: The Writings of Phil Ochs is a 288 page book that pairs well with either (a) Michael Schumacher's biography of Ochs or (b) your personal record collection of Phil Ochs songs. Of all the writings contained in this book my two favorite things were (1) the flash fiction story that Ochs wrote in 1958 titled The Fight and (2) the Phil Ochs quote David Cohen used to close this book, which was, "Ah, in such an ugly time, the true protest is beauty." So in times such as this, Ochs would surely encourage us all to do what we can to make this world a more beautiful place.

Back in the day when I marched to the beat of the Draft Dodger Rag, Phil Ochs was definitely my favorite folk music singer-songwriter. So being a long-time fan of Phil Ochs, his suicide broke my heart. For decades I haven't been able to confront that fact directly. However, after all these years I still can't say I have reached a point where I can forgive and forget, but perhaps I have finally reached a point where I can understand and remember.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some remarkable insights into the life and views of tragic folk- and protest-singer Phil Ochs are available in this collection of his non-music writing. Ochs was a major figure in the musical activism of the 1960s, and his songs are a masterful reflection of that time. This book collects a wide range of writing dating to his youth. It reveals a man always intrigued by the political and social state of the world, one who used both humor and poignancy to express his concern, and sometimes his rage, at the status quo. Only a handful of the pieces come near being as moving or enjoyable as his songs, but for anyone who wants to get at the roots of his work, this is a fine collection of adjunct material. His interviews with Los Angeles mayoral candidate Tom Reddin and actor Mike Mazurki are particularly enjoyable. What is not especially reflected in the book is Ochs's own descent toward mental despair and suicide.

[Eleanore · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But this is America, where show business and media hypnosis replace the law—and we seem forced into the role of an uninvolved and over-entertained audience." — Phil Ochs (24 August 1973, LA Weekly News)

A high rating, I know, but this was much anticipated and I honestly feel it lives up to the (extended) wait. Phil's works have felt more of the moment than ever during the past 4+ years, but possibly never more so than now. What I found most rewarding about this collection, however, was how much light it shed on his far-reaching talents as a writer, not just in terms of lyrics, but across the board. Also, the end notes show just how much effort went into properly dating and attributing as many of these pieces to their original sources (and dates and contexts) as possible, which shows the work and love that went into the project.

A lot of people tend to assume that any songwriter will also naturally be a good writer in general, but this is often not the case (and there are hundreds, probably thousands of ghost-written yet still not all that great books from musicians coming out all the time to further illustrate this). I've been diving more closely into Phil's biography over the past two years, and the works included here really serve to paint a fuller picture of his still under-appreciated Renaissance man slate of talents.

First off, the new photos are lovely to see, as every image and piece of video footage at this point feels rather precious. The scans of his handwritten and typed notes where the works are pulled from are also wonderful, giving a glimpse at thought processes and annotations.

Having access to writing from as early as his time in high school and college is illuminating, as it shows how sharp his ear for satire already was by such a young age. I was impressed by his skills as an interviewer, despite struggling with serious anxiety (in 1973, when his mental health was already beginning to seriously deteriorate), until I remembered that he had in fact been a journalism major; it shows, and he's unafraid, despite the anxiety, of pushing a political subject face-to-face.

His film reviews are exceedingly well-written, showing he wasn't just a great lover of films, which he watched hundreds of every year, but gave them considerable thought as their own art form. His most published piece of writing that reappears here, his obituary of Bruce Lee, is fantastic. His political thoughts nearly all feel pretty equally applicable today, often depressingly so, but the most angry and incendiary ("James Dean Lives in Indiana") is particularly sobering to read in 2021.

"...you must protest you must protest/ it is your diamond duty/ ah but in such an ugly time the true protest is beauty."

I was most struck by his beautiful poetry—a thing many songwriters (often quite wrongly) assume they have a natural skill for. Funnily enough, I just watched an interview with him the other day on the subject of songwriting vs. poetry, and his humble and considered thoughts on the differences between the two really highlight his unique skill for both. My favorites are probably "Happy New Year 1968," "Oliver Bubbles and His Notes from a New America," and "The Torture Garden."

The snippets from his travel diaries, again from later in his life as his mind was darkening and his paranoia deepening (though not entirely without reason, given the FBI's 400+ page file on him and his movements) are so sad, but still lovely. ("My body has been a good friend. I won't need it when I reach the end.") He's clearly lost and wandering, but still takes the time to take in as much of his surroundings in each place and note the little bits that still bring him some joy or peace.

"In other words, I want to be destroyed by art. I want to hear work that is so good poetically, so exciting musically, so original in arrangement and execution that it can turn me inside out with the communication of feeling. It is perhaps the foundation of my career to utilize the highest levels of artistic social realism to carry topical songs to that point and beyond. Can an artist be satisfied with any less of a goal?"

Phil was not, and we are all the richer for the contributions that came through that desire, despite how sadly short his life was. Grateful for this addition to the public archives of his works. He is greatly missed.

[Adam Carrico · Rating 3 out of 5]

The middle section with selections from his folk music writing in Broadside/Sing Out! style publications was fascinating. I would easily have read an entire book of his opinions on artists of that time.

His humor and satire are always great. Really neat to see some of his unreleased poems / lyrics.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I want to be destroyed by art. I want to hear work that is so good poetically, so exciting musically, so original in arrangement and execution that it can turn me inside out with the communication of feeling. It is perhaps the foundation of my career to utilize the highest levels of artistic social realism to carry topical songs to that point and beyond. Can an artist be satisfied with any less of a goal?" - Phil Ochs, 1965 (p. 108)

Phil Ochs' songs run deep in my psyche and political worldview. In one unpublished poem contained here, "Virtue," he writes, "these were not recordings / not even finished songs / to release them now or anytime / would poison even friends" (p. 180). That's my take on the collection overall. There's some brilliant pieces of satire, thoughtful meditations on the craft of folk and topical songwriting and the social responsibilities of the artist, and some longer pieces profiling individual musicians and film actors he admired. "James Dean Lives in Indiana" is as scarily prescient as Ochs' songs are in speaking to the political scene of 2020. There's a lot of material here that was unpublished, and perhaps needed more work before being publish-ready; the opacity of some of the verse is a startling contrast to the more clear, direct critical voice of songs like "Here's to the State of Mississippi." Several pieces of music journalism don't age well at all; lots of predictions of the future impact that artists who've since faded from memory will undoubtedly make on American music, along with a tendency to use superlatives in describing their work. For the most part, I'll stick to his music.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A wonderful tribute to Ochs, although you have to be a hardcore fan to enjoy this one. Some of the early high school/college juvenilia wasn’t the most interesting, but the music articles, humor, and poetry more than make it worth a read. I also hadn’t seen most of the photos included, which appeared to be contributed by his family, so that was a nice touch. Recommended for fans of Ochs and/or old folkies.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes bland, sometimes fascinating, sometimes laugh out loud funny, always insightful – a great item for those who already know quite a bit about the man. Not convinced this would turn on anybody who's looking for an introduction... though, again, when the documents in this are good they're really amazing.

[freddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was really interesting.. i liked to read the articles and such he had written. especially the liner notes for his albums! and the pictures were also nice even though i’d seen most of them on tumblr before.. i didn’t know he wrote poetry, i liked it…

[Brenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, engaging, and funny - even for someone too young to understand all the references. The profile on Gordon Lightfoot is absolutely superb.

[RONG · Rating 4 out of 5]

我就是喜欢imperfect but honest的人。

[vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

—[on buffy sainte-marie's "it's my way"] [...] there is an insane button being passed around asking “are you the universal soldier?” the profits go to unicef, of course, with no thought in mind of promoting buffy. oh well! maybe we can start a trend with other buttons, like “are you the master of war?” or “are you the boston strangler,” or, “are you serious?”

loved reading this :-) it's a compilation of his various writings, from when he was at school (little less interesting) to journal articles, reports, and album reviews (little more interesting), and has exactly the same level of wit you'd expect from his songwriting and generally just very interesting to read (though i do say that as someone already a fan of his work— i imagine if you weren't a fan it might be less interesting but still). i particularly liked reading his reviews of his contemporaries; his thoughts on bob dylan, buffy sainte-marie, tim hardin, etc... some he correctly predicted to leave a long-lasting mark on folk music, others whose names have slightly been lost to time but recorded in accounts like these.

—the folk boom has come and gone like a plague,
in broader terms, it's so interesting to see the 1960s progress in his view, especially when he reports on the folk scene and its growth and decline, the transition from folk to rock (there's a bit on newport folk festival '64 of course), and popular music & politics as a whole.

—there are two major revolutions going on in music today: one is the revolution in songwriting, adding perceptive protest and valid poetry; the other is the solidifying of the pop revolution of the fifties started by hank williams, elvis presley, buddy holly, and chuck berry and now being carried on by the beatles, the rolling stones, the righteous brothers, and the loving spoonful; that is, the firm entrenchment of rhythm and blues slightly flavored by country and western that led to the sudden and final destruction of the big band sound.

[Marc Lichtman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a huge Phil Ochs fan and had read some of this stuff when he was alive. There's some other stuff that he wrote really well about. Perhaps his best writings are his reviews of concerts from his college newspaper. He had a broad range of musical interests and wrote well about them. His attempts at satire seem to miss what he's aiming at. He will be remembered best for his songs!

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible insight into the character and person of Phil Ochs, featuring some hilarious satirical writings, his impressions on music of the time (which I will be pulling some recommendations from), and a documentation of his ongoing beef with Bob Dylan haters.

Incredible amazing fantastic book, no notes.