I Ain't Marching Anymore

Annotation

The song "I Ain't Marching Anymore" (Elektra Records # EKSN 45002) cataloged a series of US military interventions. The narrator concluded that war was futile, and thus, taking an anti-war stance, declared that he would not be marching off to war. Also of significance, the chorus portrayed the war as a generational problem: "It's always the old that leads us to wars, always the young that fall". This became a signature song for Ochs. He famously performed it outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, 1968, leading to people to burn their draft cards. Following the arrest of seven protesters, called the "Chicago Seven", Ochs had to appear at their trial as a witness, where the judge requested that he recite the song.1 Originally published in Broadside # 54 on 20 January 1965, with notation and lyrics, the song featured on the album I Ain't Marching Anymore (Elektra Records # EKS 7287), which contained a few more Vietnam War / protest related tracks, including the humorous "Draft Dodger Rag" (dealt with below in the draft section) and "Days of Decision". Produced by Paul A. Rothchild & Jac Holzman.Sources1Famous Trials (UMKC Law)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Phil Ochs

The song "I Ain't Marching Anymore" (Elektra Records # EKSN 45002), also featured on the album of the same name: I Ain't Marching Anymore (Elektra Records # EKS 7287), cataloged a series of US military interventions. The narrator concluded that war was futile, and thus, taking an anti-war stance, declared that he would not be marching off to war. Also of significance, the chorus portrayed the war as a generational problem: "It's always the old that leads us to wars, always the young that fall". This became a signature song for Ochs. He famously performed it outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, 1968, leading to people to burn their draft cards. Following the arrest of seven protesters, called the "Chicago Seven", Ochs had to appear at their trial as a witness, where the judge requested that he recite the song.1 Originally published in Broadside # 54 on 20 January 1965, with notation and lyrics, the song featured on the album I Ain't Marching Anymore (Elektra Records # EKS 7287), which contained a few more Vietnam War / protest related tracks, including the humorous "Draft Dodger Rag" (dealt with below in the draft section) and "Days of Decision". Produced by Paul A. Rothchild & Jac Holzman.Sources1Famous Trials (UMKC Law)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Oh I marched to the battle of New Orleans at the...early British war / The young land started growing, the young blood started flowing / But I ain't marchin' anymore / For I've killed my share of Indians in a thousand different fights / I was there at the Little Big Horn... / It's always the old to lead us to the war / It's always the young to fall / Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun... / For I stole California from the Mexican land / Fought in the bloody Civil War... / For I marched to the battles of the German trench in a war... to end all wars... / For I flew the...mission in the Japanese sky / Set off the...mushroom roar / When I saw the cities burning I knew that I was learning... / Now the labor leader's screamin' when they close the missile plants / United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore / Call it 'peace' or call it 'treason' / Call it 'love' or call it 'reason' / But I ain't marchin' any more Oh I marched to the battle of New Orleans at the...early British war / The young land started growing, the young blood started flowing / But I ain't marchin' anymore / For I've killed my share of Indians in a thousand different fights / I was there at the Little Big Horn... / It's always the old to lead us to the war / It's always the young to fall / Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun... / For I stole California from the Mexican land / Fought in the bloody Civil War... / For I marched to the battles of the German trench in a war...…

Notes

Elektra EKSN 45-002 A, 4-prong centre single label; "I Ain't Marching Any More" (Ochs), Phil Ochs; publisher Harmony Music Ltd. [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

In collections

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