On April 9, 1976, Phil Ochs hung himself at the age of 35. However, before he went, he recorded a very beautiful song ironically titled: “No More Songs.”
It starts with the first verse this way: “Hello, hello, hello, is there anybody home, I only called to say I’m sorry, the drums are in the dawn, and all the voices gone, and it seems that there are no more songs.”
Verse left out:
“Once I knew a sage who sang upon the stage, he told about the world his lover, A ghost without a name stands ragged in the rain, and it seems that there are no more songs.”
Verse left out:
The scar was in the sky, it’s time to say goodbye, A whale is on the beach he’s dying, A white flag in my hand, and a white bone in the sand, and it seems that there are no more songs.”
Repeat first verse:
Phil Ochs wrote hundreds of songs during his career as a topical and protest singer/songwriter. But in my opinion, none were more profound than this one. I can’t say for sure that it was the last song he wrote…but it seems like it should have been that way.
For more information on Phil Ochs, I recommend the documentary “There But For Fortune” (2010) on DVD.
