Phil Ochs

I was driving to Costco (buy blue) this afternoon in heavy traffic, but not bothered by it because I had my ipod on shuffle and plugged into the car stereo. The ipod was a surprise Christmas gift, a toy I'd never imagined I'd want, but have since fallen in love with.

The great thing about the shuffle function is that the odd juxtaposition of songs you've heard a hundred times before makes them brand new again. So, on came Phil Ochs, singing "Cops of the World." I'm guessing a lot of you are younger and may not have even heard of Phil Ochs. If not, here he is in capsule form: Born 1940, died 1976 by suicide. Manic-depressive. Acerbic, brilliant songwriter, prolific in the 60's. Activist in the civil rights and antiwar movements. And, as it turns out, clairvoyant.

Here's a segment of the song's lyrics; read them and weep:

Cops of the World

...You'd better wipe off that smile, boys
Better wipe off that smile
We'll spit through the streets of the cities we wreck
And we'll find you a leader that you can't elect
Those treaties we signed were a pain in the neck
'Cause we're the Cops of the World, boys
We're the Cops of the World

[snip]

We've got too much money we're looking for toys
And guns will be guns and boys will be boys
But we'll gladly pay for all we destroy
'Cause we're the Cops of the World, boys
We're the Cops of the World
Please stay off of the grass, boys
Please stay off of the grass
Here's a kick in the ass, boys
Here's a kick in the ass
We'll smash down your doors, we don't bother to knock
We've done it before, so why all the shock
We're the biggest and the toughest kids on the block
And we're the Cops of the World, boys
We're the Cops of the World
And when we butchered your sons, boys
When we butchered your sons
Have a stick of our gum, boys
Have a stick of our bubble gum
We own half the world, oh say can you see
And the name for our profits is democracy
So, like it or not, you will have to be free
'Cause we're the Cops of the World, boys
We're the Cops of the World

Tell me everything old isn't new again. The lessons we haven't learned...