Here's to the State of Richard Nixon

Annotation

Here's to the State of Richard Nixon (Ochs, Phil) Contemporary folk. Anti-war, anti-Nixon. Criticism of Nixon administration and policies, including secret wars, such as Cambodia and Laos.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Phil Ochs

The contemporary folk song song "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon" (A&M Records # 1509) by Phil Ochs - anti-war, anti-Richard Nixon (President 1968-1972), which criticised his administration and policies, including secret wars, such as Cambodia and Laos: "where the wars are fought in secret". This is of course updated lyrics to Ochs' famous "Here's to the State of Mississippi" (1965), a biting critique of a segregated and corrupt America during the Civil Rights era.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Here's to the State of Richard Nixon / For underneath his borders the devil draws the line / If you drag his muddy rivers nameless bodies you will find / And the fat trees of the forest have hid a thousand crimes / And the calendar is lyin' when it reads the present time / Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of / Richard Nixon, find yourself another country to be part of... / And here's to the laws of Richard Nixon / Where the wars are fought in secret, Pearl Harbor every day / He punishes with income tax that he don't have to pay / And he's tapping his own brother just to hear what he would say / But corruption can be classic in the Richard Nixon way... / And here's to the government of Richard Nixon / In the swamp of their bureaucracy they're always boggin' down / And criminals are posing as advisors to the crown... / And the speeches of the President are the ravings of a clown

Notes

A&M 1509-S (2620-S), stereo, promotional label marked "Promotion Copy — Not for Sale"; "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon" (Phil Ochs), 2:19, M. Witmark & Sons (ASCAP); produced by Garson-Ochs; ℗ 1974 A&M Records, Inc. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Phil 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. 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 Rag", and "Days of Decision" on I Ain't…

Themes

Anti-War · Nixon · Watergate

In collections

Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years] · Phil Ochs