Phil Ochs - Rehearsals For Retirement Lyrics

This song does nothing for me. The changes are awkward, and the lyrics feel forced. As far as the melancholy is concerned, I am much more impressed with Jim Dean of Indiana, the song that spurred his suicide.

This song is like an exorcism of melancholy

they do not know me

Life hurts , man! And Phil let you hear it!

Such a shining depression

Weeping. Phil Ochs was the only hero I ever had. I still remember the exact moment when I heard he was gone. I thought I could listen to this again, decades later. I can't.

This song is about suicide. I loved Ochs music even though i am politically on the other side. Many of his best songs were apolitical. When i was younger i could sing like him. Now my register is low.

Jew jokes is a coward who never criticized pissrahell or the international jew bankers who funded both sides of every world war ONE time, despite being the number one protest singer. And he killed himself and left his daughter all alone what a piece of shit hero my dick, he had a few great songs that it.

So true to the passing of one of the great voices of my ill spent youth.

This is for you from me my e-friend Indigopirate.

most beautiful song I ever heard

no sadder song than this. I will always love and play his songs.

Phil Ochs was a genius.  Exquisite.

Phil's ashes were indeed scattered by Mr Wickham at Edinburgh castle; and speaking to all Americans, that is in SCOTLAND, which is attached to ENGLAND, which is in EUROPE.

England is not Europe it's on the British Isles 

@Denis Steele British Isles
Native names[show]
Location
North-western Europe
Coordinates
54°N 4°WCoordinates: 54°N 4°W
Adjacent bodies of water
Atlantic Ocean
Total islands
6,000+
Area
315,130 km2 (121,670 sq mi)

Been a fan of Phil since Small Circle of Friends.  Now, at 57, Rehearsals means so much more, especially since I have a 19 year old son. He wrote that song for his daughter. For so many years, Phil was the soundtrack to my life. Thank you, Mr. Ochs.

Allyn Quartermain amen I have been a fan of phil since the 70s

Phil, we need you more than ever in 2019! “In such an ugly time true protest is beauty.” Phil Ochs 1968!

Why must every artist that self-mutilates or suicides be said to be murdered invisible, unnamed forces? He hanged himself. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after years of drug abuse, mixing uppers and downers. After years of self-medicating, illegal drugs took away his ability to write and to play and to sing. He'd utterly destroyed himself. There's no glory there; it's sad he couldn't communicate his pain any better and played the only somber note he felt he had left.

Phil Ochs was not a druggie. Besides not knowing the man, how do you presume to diagnose his condition?

Grow a soul.

Poor Phil was attacked and almost strangled to death while visiting South Africa. Having wrecked his vocal chords, he was deprived of his signature high and lonesome voice but he still managed to organize charity concerts and fight for the causes of oppressed and disenfranchised until the end. Despite “no glory” he was a generous and charitable soul—much like Victor Jara.

Phil was a brave man who soldiered on for as long as he could.

Phil Oches is unfortunately an underrated musician

R.I.P Phil Oches

It’s Ochs, not Oches, you halfwit.

Couldn't agree more with you.I said he was probably the most overlooked and underrated artists in the past 50 years. This country is sick. There is more news about kim kardashian,WTF has she ever done to contribute to the betterment of mankind,in a week than Phil got in his whole life.I know, different times but Phil had more talent on his pinky figure than these crapass singers like bieber and jonas brothers will ever have.

Phil Ochs forever.

Pleasures of the Harbor was my 1st encounter with Phil, I have most of his albums now.

I'd listen to Phil a lot more if I didn't feel so sad when I do

brilliant talent...but...this album cover always choked me up...never died in my mind

The thing that always struck me about "Bound for Glory" is that Phil wrote it about Woody Guthrie, but every word of the song was also true about Phil, the man who wrote "I'll Be There" and was there, and the man who wrote "No Christmas in Kentucky"; he was there as well. God Bless you, Phil.

When I hear that line in Grapes of Wrath about being part of every significant thing in our history, I think of Phil again.

May God forever bless you, Philip David Ochs.

great piano-my fav lp of phil

This is the saddest song ever written... he was a great writer.

The best memorials you can give Phil a to keep his music alive(sing it if you can, or at least play as much of it on cd's or mp3 as possible)and to work for the world he wanted.

As Phil put it in "Bound For Glory" his tribute to Woody Guthrie;

"Now they sing out his praises on every distant shore
But so few remember what he was fightin' for
Oh why sing the songs and forget about the aim?
He wrote them for a reason, why not sing them for the same"

Or, as Joe Hill said "don't mourn-organize".

He isn't buried anywhere. Phil was cremated and his best friend, Andy Wickham(a right-wing Englishman, of all things)scattered Phil's ashes from a castle in Scotland(Phil was of Scottish-Jewish ancestry on his mother's side).

The "tombstone" depicted above was created as for the album cover for "Rehearsals for Retirement", and Phil was very much alive at the time. It was supposed to have been put up in Topanga Canyon in L.A. for awhile, but I don't know if it even still exists.

It is now stored in the Guthrie Center and even on display I believe.

I used to have this on 8 track when I was a kid. thanks for posting. I guess this was his last album?

Wayne Larsen - No, Wayne, was a fabulous live album called Gunfight At Carnegie Hall, also the ironically titled Phil Ochs Greatest Hits - all new tracks and some of his best songs amongst them too.

:(

I love you Phil.

Thanks for posting Phil Ochs! Check out my tribute to Phil, my new "Broadside Balladeer" playlist here, and my May 1973 free download interview with Phil at w w w dot no more songs dot org Vic

One of the greatest artists who ever lived. PERIOD. I believe anyone who disregards this brilliance is simply unable to be true to themselves.

@dldwiggins I did hear, though, that Phil had that made as an actual gravestone(while he was still alive)and that it was put in somewhere in Laurel Canyon, where Phil and some friends were renting a house for awhile.

@adehany Beckett had it in his play, too. The "great minds" thing again.

@rdeem25 oh, thanks for the English course ;-) -- I m Spanish-
Still a great song

@mindrez it's "smaller prizes"

@xenon1919 Its only the (ironic, now) artwork for the album cover. A&M might have some elements, otherwise we'll just have to keep it in our hearts and minds.

Please, where is is the above memorial located? Thanks

@zimmy0

it's:

"might have known the end would end in laughter"

@mindrez
it's s
"smaller prizes"

An incredibly sad song. Along with, "My Life," it's probably his most depressing. A beautiful melody though.

yes a forgotten classic

Phil was killed by every arrogant white man in a suit that said no to peace and justice and yes to the status quo. When your dreams are crushed, it's almost impossible to continue.

As Beckett put it in WAITING FOR GODOT "We can't go on...we'll go on."

Love this song, I think is one of the most beautiful songs of the XXth century

"the days grow longer for smaller prices
I feel a stranger to all surprises
you can have them, I don´t want them..."

Great song and lyrics -but it seems like nobody knows it.

Thanks for uploading!