Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
This song, like many protest songs recorded during Ochs' era, is about unionization. It is written from the perspective of a narrator who listened to the gripes of a recently laid-off worker. The narrator then tells the man that his best shot at getting his job back and fixing all of his other gripe...
[Verse 1]
Oh, you tell me that your last good dollar is gone
And you say that your pockets are bare
And you tell me that your clothes are tattered and torn
And nobody seems to care
Now don't tell me your troubles
No, I don't have the time to spare
But if you wanna get together and fight
Good buddy that's what I wanna hear
[Verse 2]
And you tell me that your job was taken away
By a big old greasy machine
And you tell me that you don't collect no more pay
And your belly is growin' lean
Now if I had the jobs to give
You know I'd give them all away
But don't waste your breath callin' out my name
If you don't have nothing to say
[Verse 3]
And you tell me that you don't have nothing to do
And you keep on wastin' your time
And you say when you wanna get your family some food
You gotta stand in a relief line
Now it's a sin and a bloody shame
About the way they're pushing you 'round
But when you decide not to take no more
You know I'll put my money down
[Verse 4]
'Cause I've seen your kind many times before
And I'll see 'em many times again
Oh, but every bad thing that's happened to you
Has happened to better men
So don't explain that you've lost your way
That you've got no place to go
You've got a hand and a voice and you're not alone
Brother that's all you need to know
[Verse 5]
And if you're still wonderin' what I'm tryin' to say
Let me tell you what it's all about
Now nobody listens to a single man
When he's walkin' 'round down and out
So if you're looking for an answer
He's standin' there by your side
And you'll never really know how far you'll go
'Til you join together and try
[Verse 6]
So you tell me that your last good dollar is gone
And you say that your pockets are bare
And you tell me that your clothes are tattered and torn
And nobody seems to care
Now don't tell me your troubles
No, I don't have the time to spare
But if you wanna get together and fight
Good buddy that's what I wanna hear
That’s What I Want to Hear was written by Phil Ochs.
That’s What I Want to Hear was produced by Jac Holzman.