Phil Ochs

Days of Decision

1965 · Elektra EKS 7287 · New York City, New York

Artist
Phil Ochs
Title
Days of Decision
Release
I Ain't Marching Anymore
Year
1965
Label
Elektra # EKS 7287
Format
LP · Album
Language
English
Country
New York City, New York, USA
Songwriter
Phil Ochs
Genre
Singer Songwriter · Contemporary Folk
Primary theme
Peace, Protest & Anti-War

Annotation — McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" & Answer Songs

As suggested from the title of this song, "Days of Decision" (Elektra Records # EKS 7287) appears to be an answer or closely related theme to McGuire's "Eve of Destruction": "lookin' for an answer they're never gonna find... these are the days of decision" - a call to protest against the "far-reaching rockets". It also contained a Civil Rights message: "warnings of fire... from the three bodies buried in the Mississippi mud" - a reference to the murders of three Civil Rights activist, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner on 21 June 1964 by the KKK. (1)Songs referencing the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and SchwernerPhil Ochs, a leading protest / topical singer, born 19 December 1940 in El Paso, Texas, USA, and died on 9 April 1976, in Far Rockaway, New York, USA. He often played songs at anti-war and civil rights rallies in the 1960s and early 1970s, including outside the Democratic National Convention in 1968. (1) He released many anti-Vietnam War songs during the era, which included "Talking Vietnam", one of the first Vietnam songs released, on his 1964 album All the News That's Fit to Sing. Other prominent songs included "I Ain't Marching Anymore", "Draft Dodger…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs

As suggested from the title of this song, "Days of Decision", on the album I Ain't Marching Anymore (Elektra Records # EKS 7287) appears to be an answer or closely related theme to McGuire's "Eve of Destruction": "lookin' for an answer they're never gonna find... these are the days of decision" - a call to protest against the "far-reaching rockets". It also contained a Civil Rights message: "warnings of fire... from the three bodies buried in the Mississippi mud" - a reference to the murders of three Civil Rights activist, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner on 21 June 1964 by the KKK. (1)Songs referencing the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

born 19 December 1940 in El Paso, Texas, USA, and died on 9 April 1976, in Far Rockaway, New York, USA

Themes

Anti-War

In collections

McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" & Answer Songs · Civil Rights Songs · Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs · Phil Ochs