Phil Ochs Quotes

A protest song is a song that's so specific that you cannot mistake it for bullshit.

Phil Ochs

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Quotes to Explore

• The white man made the mistake of letting me read his history books. He made the mistake of teaching me that Patrick Henry was a patriot and George Washington – wasn't nothing non-violent about old Pat or George Washington.

  

  Malcolm X
  • History
  • Man
  • Mistake

• I used to watch 'Top of the Pops' when I was a kid and say 'Yeah!' or 'Boo!' at every single song. So there was nothing in the middle. You brutally put it on one side or another.

  

  Damien Hirst
  • Song
  • Single
  • Kid

• There's something about live players that you cannot get with machines: With live musicians, you can strike a groove, you can feed off each other... And, even though somebody might make a slight mistake, it's all real!

  

  Isaac Hayes
  • Live
  • Real
  • Mistake

• To me, there is nothing more soothing than the song of a mosquito that can't get through the mesh to bite you.

  

  Madison Smartt Bell
  • Song
  • Me
  • Soothing

• I fantasise about what the future could be in terms of aesthetic and psychology. It's the most difficult thing to do because you have to start from the past - your favourite architect, your favourite song - you take it all with you.

  

  Raf Simons
  • Future
  • Song
  • Past

• Very often, writing a song is a process that happens to me rather than one that I instigate. I feel a song coming on and, like a sneeze; I wait for it until it comes.

  

  Kat Edmonson
  • Writing
  • Song
  • Process

• The first album I ever bought with my own money was 'Ten.' Every single song reminds me of my childhood.

  

  Aaron Paul
  • Money
  • Song
  • Single

• It is such a gift to be able to write songs in general, but when you can share it with somebody, it is just such a pleasure. It is such a happy moment when you finish a song, and you are just like, 'Wow - that was great.'

  

  Valerie June
  • Great
  • Happy
  • Song

• I like finding that common point between another song and my music. It's like between people; you can be of religion or another, from this country or from another country, but we're all basically the same. It's just the same with songs.

  

  Yael Naim
  • People
  • Music
  • Country

• Music's always been really cathartic. It's the best drug for me to get away from the everyday pressures just for a second via a good song.

  

  Ville Valo HIM
  • Good
  • Music
  • Song

• At first, I did have that thought, like, 'Oh crap, what are we going to do after?' Then I realized 'Girl in a Country Song' was an honest, truthful song, and we were telling our truth, and that's all we have to do - write songs that are true and tell our stories.

  

  Madison Marlow
  • Country
  • Truth
  • True

• When I was a little girl, my dream was just to hear my song on the radio. It was very fascinating to me, and I was like, 'How do I do that?' Now it's like, 'Oh my God, my song is on the radio!'

  

  Bebe Rexha
  • God
  • Song
  • Dream

• If someone had told me when I was a kid I'd get an ovation from Frank Sinatra! One time, I did a song called 'I Am A Singer', but I rewrote the words for Frank. I was in tears and, when he got up, so was he.

  

  Irwin Thomas
  • Song
  • Tears
  • Frank Sinatra

• It usually takes me 20 to 90 minutes to write a song because once I start, I don't stop. If I start writing a song, and you try to have a conversation with me, you're a bad person.

  

  Halsey
  • Writing
  • Bad
  • Song

• Sometimes videos make a bad song very tight.

  

  Thebe Neruda Kgositsile
  • Bad
  • Song
  • Sometimes

• I'm ambitious. But if I weren't as talented as I am ambitious, I would be a gross monstrosity.

  

  Madonna Breakfast Club
  • Talent
  • Ambitious
  • Monstrosity

• If the great Government of the United States were a private corporation no bank would take its name on a piece of paper, because it has cynically repudiated the words engraved upon its bonds.

  

  Garet Garrett
  • Great
  • Words
  • Government

• I didn't used to do shows, because I used to be so shy. We'd perform, and I'd be at the back, thinking of another song. I was so shy, I ain't never getting in front of the camera; I would never get on stage.

  

  Young Thug
  • Thinking
  • Song
  • Camera

• I don't wanna get into that space where a lot of guys now, their solo album is like eight or 10 songs with other people, you don't get an idea of who this guy is. I just wasn't interested in that.

  

  Yasiin Bey Black Star
  • People
  • Guy
  • Song

• I love listening to Radio Head's 'Everything in its Right Place' because it's all major chords, it makes you feel really good. It's soothing, it's got a beautiful voice, crazy textures. When I'm down I listen to that song and it really makes me feel good.

  

  Casey Abrams
  • Beautiful
  • Song
  • Crazy

• I had true rivalries. Not only did I want to beat my opponent, but I didn't want to let him up, either. I had a rivalry with Mac, Lendl, Borg. Everybody knew there was tension between us, on court and off. That's what's really ingrained in my mind: 'This is real. This isn't a soft rivalry.' There were no hugs and kisses.

  

  Jimmy Connors
  • Up
  • Mind
  • Real

• I have a simple, childlike view of life, and I want to keep it. That's why I never got into that Beverly Hills world. So many pretentious people. They just aren't real.

  

  Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner
  • People
  • Life
  • World

• As he assumes the awesome responsibilities of the presidency, Donald Trump has inherited a world on fire and a U.S. military weakened by years of senseless budget cuts. I am encouraged that he recognizes these problems and has pledged to rebuild the military.

  

  John McCain
  • World
  • Military
  • Fire

• A protest song is a song that's so specific that you cannot mistake it for bullshit.

  

  Phil Ochs
  • Song
  • Mistake