Month of Music, Day #27
Day 27. A song that you wish you could play - "Links on the Chain" (Phil Ochs)
(Lol I feel bad for posting another one of these when I haven't even gotten around answering comments on the last one, but here goes. XD)
You probably won't be surprised to hear that in all the labor/peace/etc. rallies and actions I've attended recently, there have been at those events many musicians who, to put it nicely, unfortunately did not have levels of talent/skill to match their enthusiasm and earnestness. I mean, I sure wasn't surprised. XD;;;
However, I was particularly surprised that in nearly all of these labor rallies/actions, there was almost a categorical refusal to play any of "the all-Amurrikan hits" out of the old labor back-catalog, from folksingers like Seeger, Guthrie, and mai zombie waifu ~♥~♥~Phil Ochs~♥~♥~.
I've already written several posts on the glory/beauty/awesome/sexy/Dylan-wishes-he-was-this-amazing that is Phil Ochs, which feature several of his songs, so I'm going to keep this post short by telling you to check out that link if you want to learn more about Ochs instead of babbling on about him here and turning this post into more of a TL;DR trainwreck than it's already going to be. Let's get straight to the song:
"Links on the Chain" is an early Ochs number, and it's a song I really wish I'd heard at many of the rallies I've attended lately. It's one of the many songs from the folk-era 1960s/singer-songwriter 1970s that make me wish my guitar skills were better than Srs Beginner Level, and it's one of the few songs that inspire me to pick up the guitar again; the only instrument I consider myself truly talented/skilled at is the piano, though I do play the flute and saxes passably well.
The song is a call to the union/labor movement and speaks about the need for labor to form coalitions with other oppressed groups-leftists, queers, people of color, etc.-instead of standing passively by while those groups are disenfranchised (or worse still, actively working against those oppressed groups out of a stupid fear that associating with them or supporting their actions and their interests might be harmful to one's own jobs and standing in society). It's a beautiful song, not only because it features Phil's yearning voice and insistent guitar, not only because it's a plea for unity and coalition building, but also because it's a sharp, clear warning to those in labor who seek to exclude or work against other oppressed groups that their actions will only serve to harm the labor movement in the long term. I've been thinking about the importance of coalition building a lot lately, especially after the large May Day protests that were held across the country in joint fashion by the labor and immigrants rights movements.
I'm posting the album version of "Links on the Chain" here but if you want the live version from the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, comment here and I'll PM you with a link to it. The live version is amazing; Phil starts off by sarcastically dedicating the song to George Meany, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by LBJ just months before the festival. George Meany was a former head of the AFL-CIO and a colossal free-market asshole of the highest order: he actively connived with business interests to purge the union of leftists/communists and to decertify and thin the ranks of the more radical leftist labor unions and groups. (Oh and at the end of the live version, Phil starts strumming awkwardly while he's deciding what to play next and he asks the audience all shyly, "What should I do?" IT IS THE CUTEST THING OH MY FUCKING GOD.)
Anyway, album version. Enjoy, and good night:
- - - - -
come you ranks of labor
come you union core
and see if you remember the struggles of before
when you were standing helpless on the outside of the door
and you started building links on the chain, on the chain
and you started building links on the chain
when the police on the horses were waitin' on demand
ridin' through the strike with a pistol in their hand
swingin’ at the skulls of many a union man
as you built one more link on the chain, on the chain
as you built one more link on the chain
then the army of the fascists tried to put you on the run
but the army of the union, they did what could be done
oh, the power of the factory was greater than the gun
as you built one more link on the chain, on the chain
as you built one more link on the chain
and then in 1954 decisions finally made
oh, the black man was a-risin' fast, racin' from the shade
and your union took no stand and your union was betrayed
as you lost yourself a link on the chain, on the chain
as you lost yourself a link on the chain
and then there came the boycotts
and then the freedom rides
and forgetting what you stood for, you tried to block the tide
oh, the automation bosses were laughin' on the side
as they watched you lose your link on the chain, on the chain
as they watched you lose your link on the chain
you know when they block your trucks, boys, by layin' on the road
all that they are doin' is all that you have showed:
that you gotta strike
you gotta fight to get what you are owed
when you're building all your links on the chain, on the chain
when you're building all your links on the chain
and the man who tries to tell you that they'll take your job away
he's the same man who was scabbin' hard just the other day
and your union's not a union 'til he's thrown out of the way
and he's chokin' on your links of the chain, of the chain
and he's chokin' on your links of the chain
for now the times are tellin' you the times are rollin' on
and you’re fighting for the same thing, the jobs that will be gone
now it's only fair to ask you boys:
which side are you on?
as you're buildin' all your links on the chain, on the chain
as you're buildin' all your links on the chain
- - - - -
Day 01. Your favorite song - "Hejira" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 02. Your least favorite song - "Hollaback Girl" (Gwen Stefani)
Day 03. A song that makes you happy - "Il y A" (Faudel)
Day 04. A song that makes you sad - "your next bold move" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 05. A song that reminds you of someone - "blood in the boardroom" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 06. A song that reminds you of somewhere - "My Secret Place" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 07. A song that reminds you of a certain event - "アジアのこの街で" (上々颱風)
- ["In This Asian Town" (Shang Shang Typhoon)]
Day 08. A song that you know all the words to - "serpentine" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 09. A song that you can dance to - "Didi" (Khaled)
Day 10. A song that makes you fall asleep - "平和の琉歌" (ネーネーズ)
- ["Ryūkyūan Peace Song" (The Nenes)]
Day 11. A song from your favorite band - "Cherry-Coloured Funk" (Cocteau Twins)
Day 12. A song from a band you hate - "What Hurts the Most" (Rascal Flatts)
Day 13. A song that is a guilty pleasure - "La Neige au Sahara" (Anggun)
Day 14. A song that no one would expect you to love - "Leviticus: Faggot" (Me'Shell NdegéOcello)
Day 15. A song that describes you - "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 16. A song that you used to love but now hate - "Khalouni" (Cheb Mami)
Day 17. A song that you hear often on the radio - "Need to Know" (Incognito)
Day 18. A song that you wish you heard on the radio - "International Blues Jam" (Brozman/Hirayasu/Diawara)
Day 19. A song from your favorite album - "Christmas in My Soul" (Laura Nyro)
Day 20. A song that you listen to when you’re angry - "Women's Care in E Flat Major" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 21. A song that you listen to when you’re happy - "Ave Maria" (Chanticleer)
Day 22. A song that you listen to when you’re sad - "2011"/"2007" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 23. A song that you want to play at your wedding - "Hibernatal" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 24. A song that you want to play at your funeral - "Palmyra" (Jolie Holland)
Day 25. A song that makes you laugh - "Eat Me Out" (Margaret Cho)
Day 26. A song that you can play on an instrument - Étude in C# Minor, Op. 2, No. 1 (Alexander Scriabin)
Day 27. A song that you wish you could play - "Links on the Chain" (Phil Ochs)
Day 28. A song that makes you feel guilty -
Day 29. A song from your childhood -
Day 30. Your favorite song at this time last year -
(Lol I feel bad for posting another one of these when I haven't even gotten around answering comments on the last one, but here goes. XD)
You probably won't be surprised to hear that in all the labor/peace/etc. rallies and actions I've attended recently, there have been at those events many musicians who, to put it nicely, unfortunately did not have levels of talent/skill to match their enthusiasm and earnestness. I mean, I sure wasn't surprised. XD;;;
However, I was particularly surprised that in nearly all of these labor rallies/actions, there was almost a categorical refusal to play any of "the all-Amurrikan hits" out of the old labor back-catalog, from folksingers like Seeger, Guthrie, and mai zombie waifu ~♥~♥~Phil Ochs~♥~♥~.
I've already written several posts on the glory/beauty/awesome/sexy/Dylan-wishes-he-was-this-amazing that is Phil Ochs, which feature several of his songs, so I'm going to keep this post short by telling you to check out that link if you want to learn more about Ochs instead of babbling on about him here and turning this post into more of a TL;DR trainwreck than it's already going to be. Let's get straight to the song:
"Links on the Chain" is an early Ochs number, and it's a song I really wish I'd heard at many of the rallies I've attended lately. It's one of the many songs from the folk-era 1960s/singer-songwriter 1970s that make me wish my guitar skills were better than Srs Beginner Level, and it's one of the few songs that inspire me to pick up the guitar again; the only instrument I consider myself truly talented/skilled at is the piano, though I do play the flute and saxes passably well.
The song is a call to the union/labor movement and speaks about the need for labor to form coalitions with other oppressed groups-leftists, queers, people of color, etc.-instead of standing passively by while those groups are disenfranchised (or worse still, actively working against those oppressed groups out of a stupid fear that associating with them or supporting their actions and their interests might be harmful to one's own jobs and standing in society). It's a beautiful song, not only because it features Phil's yearning voice and insistent guitar, not only because it's a plea for unity and coalition building, but also because it's a sharp, clear warning to those in labor who seek to exclude or work against other oppressed groups that their actions will only serve to harm the labor movement in the long term. I've been thinking about the importance of coalition building a lot lately, especially after the large May Day protests that were held across the country in joint fashion by the labor and immigrants rights movements.
I'm posting the album version of "Links on the Chain" here but if you want the live version from the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, comment here and I'll PM you with a link to it. The live version is amazing; Phil starts off by sarcastically dedicating the song to George Meany, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by LBJ just months before the festival. George Meany was a former head of the AFL-CIO and a colossal free-market asshole of the highest order: he actively connived with business interests to purge the union of leftists/communists and to decertify and thin the ranks of the more radical leftist labor unions and groups. (Oh and at the end of the live version, Phil starts strumming awkwardly while he's deciding what to play next and he asks the audience all shyly, "What should I do?" IT IS THE CUTEST THING OH MY FUCKING GOD.)
Anyway, album version. Enjoy, and good night:
Click to view- - - - -
come you ranks of labor
come you union core
and see if you remember the struggles of before
when you were standing helpless on the outside of the door
and you started building links on the chain, on the chain
and you started building links on the chain
when the police on the horses were waitin' on demand
ridin' through the strike with a pistol in their hand
swingin’ at the skulls of many a union man
as you built one more link on the chain, on the chain
as you built one more link on the chain
then the army of the fascists tried to put you on the run
but the army of the union, they did what could be done
oh, the power of the factory was greater than the gun
as you built one more link on the chain, on the chain
as you built one more link on the chain
and then in 1954 decisions finally made
oh, the black man was a-risin' fast, racin' from the shade
and your union took no stand and your union was betrayed
as you lost yourself a link on the chain, on the chain
as you lost yourself a link on the chain
and then there came the boycotts
and then the freedom rides
and forgetting what you stood for, you tried to block the tide
oh, the automation bosses were laughin' on the side
as they watched you lose your link on the chain, on the chain
as they watched you lose your link on the chain
you know when they block your trucks, boys, by layin' on the road
all that they are doin' is all that you have showed:
that you gotta strike
you gotta fight to get what you are owed
when you're building all your links on the chain, on the chain
when you're building all your links on the chain
and the man who tries to tell you that they'll take your job away
he's the same man who was scabbin' hard just the other day
and your union's not a union 'til he's thrown out of the way
and he's chokin' on your links of the chain, of the chain
and he's chokin' on your links of the chain
for now the times are tellin' you the times are rollin' on
and you’re fighting for the same thing, the jobs that will be gone
now it's only fair to ask you boys:
which side are you on?
as you're buildin' all your links on the chain, on the chain
as you're buildin' all your links on the chain
- - - - -
Day 01. Your favorite song - "Hejira" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 02. Your least favorite song - "Hollaback Girl" (Gwen Stefani)
Day 03. A song that makes you happy - "Il y A" (Faudel)
Day 04. A song that makes you sad - "your next bold move" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 05. A song that reminds you of someone - "blood in the boardroom" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 06. A song that reminds you of somewhere - "My Secret Place" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 07. A song that reminds you of a certain event - "アジアのこの街で" (上々颱風)
- ["In This Asian Town" (Shang Shang Typhoon)]
Day 08. A song that you know all the words to - "serpentine" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 09. A song that you can dance to - "Didi" (Khaled)
Day 10. A song that makes you fall asleep - "平和の琉歌" (ネーネーズ)
- ["Ryūkyūan Peace Song" (The Nenes)]
Day 11. A song from your favorite band - "Cherry-Coloured Funk" (Cocteau Twins)
Day 12. A song from a band you hate - "What Hurts the Most" (Rascal Flatts)
Day 13. A song that is a guilty pleasure - "La Neige au Sahara" (Anggun)
Day 14. A song that no one would expect you to love - "Leviticus: Faggot" (Me'Shell NdegéOcello)
Day 15. A song that describes you - "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 16. A song that you used to love but now hate - "Khalouni" (Cheb Mami)
Day 17. A song that you hear often on the radio - "Need to Know" (Incognito)
Day 18. A song that you wish you heard on the radio - "International Blues Jam" (Brozman/Hirayasu/Diawara)
Day 19. A song from your favorite album - "Christmas in My Soul" (Laura Nyro)
Day 20. A song that you listen to when you’re angry - "Women's Care in E Flat Major" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 21. A song that you listen to when you’re happy - "Ave Maria" (Chanticleer)
Day 22. A song that you listen to when you’re sad - "2011"/"2007" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 23. A song that you want to play at your wedding - "Hibernatal" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 24. A song that you want to play at your funeral - "Palmyra" (Jolie Holland)
Day 25. A song that makes you laugh - "Eat Me Out" (Margaret Cho)
Day 26. A song that you can play on an instrument - Étude in C# Minor, Op. 2, No. 1 (Alexander Scriabin)
Day 27. A song that you wish you could play - "Links on the Chain" (Phil Ochs)
Day 28. A song that makes you feel guilty -
Day 29. A song from your childhood -
Day 30. Your favorite song at this time last year -