Phil Ochs
artist unknown

Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends
By Phil Ochs

Look outside the window, there’s a woman being grabbed
They’ve dragged her to the bushes and now she’s being stabbed
Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain
But Monopoly is so much fun, I’d hate to blow the game
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends.

Riding down the highway, yes, my back is getting stiff
Thirteen cars are piled up, they’re hanging on a cliff.
Maybe we should pull them back with our towing chain
But we gotta move and we might get sued and it looks like it’s gonna rain
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends.

Sweating in the ghetto with the colored and the poor
The rats have joined the babies who are sleeping on the floor
Now wouldn’t it be a riot if they really blew their tops?
But they got too much already and besides we got the cops
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends.

Oh there’s a dirty paper using sex to make a sale
The Supreme Court was so upset, they sent him off to jail.
Maybe we should help the fiend and take away his fine.
But we’re busy reading Playboy and the Sunday New York Times
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends

Smoking marihuana is more fun than drinking beer,
But a friend of ours was captured and they gave him thirty years
Maybe we should raise our voices, ask somebody why
But demonstrations are a drag, besides we’re much too high
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends

Oh look outside the window, there’s a woman being grabbed
They’ve dragged her to the bushes and now she’s being stabbed
Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain
But Monopoly is so much fun, I’d hate to blow the game
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends

[ Additional verse, 1974]

Down in Santiago where they took away our mines
We cut off all their money so they robbed the storehouse blind
Now maybe we should ask some questions, maybe shed a tear
But I bet you a copper penny, it cannot happen here
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends

Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends – Phil Ochs

[mp3j track=”outsideofasmallcircleoffriends.mp3″]

Artwork: artist unknown

deletereply billatplay wrote on Mar 3, ’09 I left a man just like he, tarred, feathered, tied to a tree He was crying for help so I walked by, turning my head away Crying out with pain he screamed, please don’t leave flee. I’m not, taking his photograph, it’s for your circle of me me me.

deletereply sanssouciblogs wrote on Mar 3, ’09 What a sarcastic slap at apathy. Never heard this. The cuteness of the music is so alien to the lyrics, but very true and well written. An excellent “Phil.”

deletereply forgetmenot525 wrote on Mar 3, ’09 I read the poem from my email and then clicked onto your site and heard the music………..wow………absolutely NOT the music i expected to go with those words. Loved reading it as a poem, not so sure i enjoyed it as a song. But loved the irony of those words.

deletereply sweetpotatoqueen wrote on Mar 3, ’09 This speaks volumes about our detachment from  peoples troubles and need for our help. How easy it is to separate from others..a shame isn’t it? What wonderful lyrics and almost comical music that fits the sentiment of this very sad state of human affairs.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Mar 4, ’09 I know the music doesn’t really go with the words, but I think it was arranged that way because he was making fun of the fact that no one really cares about others when they should.

deletereply asolotraveler wrote on Mar 4, ’09, edited on Mar 4, ’09 fantastic…. my first intro to this work… knew of the artist but not this work… at least not from a recognition posture.  THANK YOU… i sense shades of simon and garfunkle’s early HE WAS A MOST PECULIAR MAN

deletereply skeezicks1957 wrote on Mar 6, ’09 I really like the post!  I would like to hear more music by Phil Ochs.  For some reason this one made me think of the following song.