Ochs performed at many political events, including anti-Vietnam War and civil rights rallies, student events, and organized labor events over the course of his career, in addition to many concert appearances at such venues as New York City's Town Hall and Carnegie Hall. Politically, Ochs described himself as a "left social democrat" who became an "early revolutionary" after the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago led to a police riot, which had a profound effect on his state of mind.
After years of prolific writing in the 1960s, Ochs's mental stability declined in the 1970s. He eventually succumbed to a number of problems including alcoholism, and took his own life in 1976.
Some of Ochs's major influences were Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Bob Gibson, Faron Young, Merle Haggard, John Wayne, and John F. Kennedy. His best-known songs include "I Ain't Marching Anymore", "Changes", "Crucifixion", "Draft Dodger Rag", "Love Me I'm a Liberal", "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends", "Power and the Glory", "There but for Fortune", and "The War Is Over".
For a more thorough and interesting bio on Phil visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Ochs
Here
Phil Ochs Lyrics
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For Underheath her borders, the devil draws no lines,
If you drag her muddy river, nameless bodies you will find.
whoa the fat trees of the forest have hid a thousand crimes,
the calender is lyin' when it reads the present time.
Whoa here's to the land you've torn out the heart of,
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of!
Who say the folks up north, they just don't understand
And they tremble in their shadows at the thunder of the Klan
The sweating of their souls can't wash the blood from off their hands
They smile and shrug their shoulders at the murder of a man
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
And here's to the schools of Mississippi
Where they're teaching all the children that they don't have to care
All the rudiments of hatred are present everywhere
And every single classroom is a factory of despair
There's nobody learning such a foreign word as fair
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
And here's to the cops of Mississippi
They're chewing their tobacco as they lock the prison door
Their bellies bounce inside them when they knock you to the floor
No they don't like taking prisoners in their private little war
Behind their broken badges there are murderers and more
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
And, here's to the judges of Mississippi
Who wear the robe of honor as they crawl into the court
They're guarding all the bastions of their phony legal fort
Oh, justice is a stranger when the prisoners report
When the black man stands accused the trial is always short
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
And here's to the government of Mississippi
In the swamp of their bureaucracy they're always bogging down
And criminals are posing as the mayors of the towns
And they hope that no one sees the sights and no one hears the sounds
And the speeches of the governor are the ravings of a clown
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
And here's to the laws of Mississippi
Congressmen will gather in a circus of delay
While the Constitution is drowning in an ocean of decay
Unwed mothers should be sterilized, I've even heard them say
Yes, corruption can be classic in the Mississippi way
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
And here's to the churches of Mississippi
Where the cross, once made of silver, now is caked with rust
And the Sunday morning sermons pander to their lust
The fallen face of Jesus is choking in the dust
Heaven only knows in which God they can trust
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
In the song "Here's To The State Of Mississippi," Phil Ochs expresses his anger and disgust with the state of Mississippi and its institutions. The song is a scathing indictment of the racism, corruption, and injustice that Ochs believes pervade the state. Underneath Mississippi's borders, the devil draws no lines, and the calendar is lying when it reads the present time. Mississippi, according to Ochs, is a place where nameless bodies are found in the muddy river, where the fat trees of the forest have hidden a thousand crimes. It's a place where schools teach children the rudiments of hatred and despair, where the cops are murderers, and the judges are phony and corrupt.
Ochs' condemnation of Mississippi's institutions is blunt and uncompromising. He derides the people who say the folks up north just don't understand, the cops who chew their tobacco as they lock the prison door, and the judges who wear the robe of honor as they crawl into the court. Ochs' anger and frustration reach a climax when he sings about the churches of Mississippi, where the cross, once made of silver, is now caked with rust, and the Sunday morning sermons pander to their lust. The fallen face of Jesus is choking in the dust, and heaven only knows in which God they can trust.
Overall, "Here's To The State Of Mississippi" is a powerful protest song that highlights the injustices and inequalities that existed in America's southern states during the 1960s. Through Ochs' lyrics, we are able to feel the anger and frustration of those who were fighting for change, and we are reminded of the importance of standing up against injustice and oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's to the state of Mississippi,
Let's talk about how terrible Mississippi is
For Underneath her borders, the devil draws no lines,
Mississippi is such a terrible place, hell itself is not even picky about it
If you drag her muddy river, nameless bodies you will find.
The dead are so common in Mississippi, it's impossible to keep track of them. If you look closely enough, you'll find a bunch of corpses in the river
Whoa the fat trees of the forest have hid a thousand crimes,
There are so many crimes committed in Mississippi that even the trees in the forest can keep them all hidden
the calender is lyin' when it reads the present time.
Time seems to stand still in Mississippi, as if it's perpetually stuck in the past
Whoa here's to the land you've torn out the heart of,
Congratulations Mississippi, you've managed to destroy yourself
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of!
Mississippi should just give up and leave the USA
And here's to the people of Mississippi
Let's talk about how terrible the people in Mississippi are
Who say the folks up north, they just don't understand
People in Mississippi are convinced that no one else in the country can understand the depth of their problems
And they tremble in their shadows at the thunder of the Klan
The KKK rules Mississippi, and people live in constant fear of them
The sweating of their souls can't wash the blood from off their hands
People in Mississippi can't escape the guilt of their own actions
They smile and shrug their shoulders at the murder of a man
People in Mississippi don't care when someone is killed
And here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi has destroyed itself, yet again
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
Mississippi should just leave the USA already
And here's to the schools of Mississippi
Let's talk about how terrible the schools in Mississippi are
Where they're teaching all the children that they don't have to care
Kids in Mississippi are being taught to be indifferent towards others
All the rudiments of hatred are present everywhere
Hate is just a basic part of life in Mississippi
And every single classroom is a factory of despair
Schools in Mississippi are factories of misery, where kids learn to give up on life
There's nobody learning such a foreign word as fair
People in Mississippi don't even understand the concept of fairness
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi is destroying itself, one institution at a time
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
Seriously Mississippi, just leave the USA already
And here's to the cops of Mississippi
Let's talk about how terrible the police in Mississippi are
They're chewing their tobacco as they lock the prison door
Cops in Mississippi are more interested in tobacco than actually doing their job
Their bellies bounce inside them when they knock you to the floor
Cops in Mississippi are violent and unprofessional
No they don't like taking prisoners in their private little war
Cops in Mississippi see everyone as an enemy and a potential target
Behind their broken badges there are murderers and more
Many cops in Mississippi are actually criminals themselves
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi has managed to destroy its justice system as well
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
Seriously Mississippi, just secede already
And, here's to the judges of Mississippi
Let's talk about how terrible the judicial system in Mississippi is
Who wear the robe of honor as they crawl into the court
Judges in Mississippi pretend to be honorable, but they're actually corrupt
They're guarding all the bastions of their phony legal fort
Judges in Mississippi are more interested in preserving their own power than actual justice
Oh, justice is a stranger when the prisoners report
Justice is a joke in Mississippi, especially for those who are imprisoned
When the black man stands accused the trial is always short
Black people in Mississippi are treated unfairly by the legal system
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi has destroyed itself once again, this time with its legal system
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
Seriously, Mississippi should just leave the USA already
And here's to the government of Mississippi
Let's talk about how terrible the government in Mississippi is
In the swamp of their bureaucracy they're always bogging down
The government in Mississippi is dysfunctional and ineffective
And criminals are posing as the mayors of the towns
Corruption is everywhere in Mississippi, even in its government officials
And they hope that no one sees the sights and no one hears the sounds
The government in Mississippi tries to keep its problems hidden so no one will find out
And the speeches of the governor are the ravings of a clown
The governor of Mississippi is a joke and no one takes them seriously
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi has managed to destroy its own government now
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
Please Mississippi, just leave the USA already
And here's to the laws of Mississippi
Let's talk about how terrible the laws in Mississippi are
Congressmen will gather in a circus of delay
The federal government is useless when it comes to fixing Mississippi's problems
While the Constitution is drowning in an ocean of decay
Even the Constitution can't save Mississippi from itself
Unwed mothers should be sterilized, I've even heard them say
People in Mississippi have some truly awful and despicable ideas about how to fix society's problems
Yes, corruption can be classic in the Mississippi way
Corruption is so deeply entrenched in Mississippi's culture that it's practically a tradition
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi has destroyed itself so thoroughly that it's practically unrecognizable
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
Please, for everyone's sake, just leave the USA already Mississippi
And here's to the churches of Mississippi
Let's talk about how terrible the churches in Mississippi are
Where the cross, once made of silver, now is caked with rust
Even religion in Mississippi has been corrupted and decayed
And the Sunday morning sermons pander to their lust
Churches in Mississippi are more interested in sex than God
The fallen face of Jesus is choking in the dust
Even Jesus can't escape the devastation of Mississippi
Heaven only knows in which God they can trust
God only knows if anyone in Mississippi still has any faith left
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi has even managed to destroy religion in the state
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of
Mississippi should just leave the USA already and start over somewhere else
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PHIL OCHS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind