Phil Ochs Quotes & Sayings

“Step outside the guidelines of the official umpires and make your own rules and your own reality.”

“In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty.”

“It is wrong to expect a reward for your struggles. The reward is the act of struggle itself, not what you win.”

“And if there's any hope for America, it lies in a revolution, and if there's any hope for a revolution in America, it lies in getting Elvis Presley to become Che Guevara.”

“The fortunes of the entire world may well ride on the ability of young Americans to face the responsibilities of an old America gone mad.”

“There is an urgent need for Americans to look deeply into themselves and their actions, and musical poetry is perhaps the most effective mirror available. Every newspaper headline is a potential song.”

“Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make the attempt. That's morality, that's religion, that's art, that's life.”

“Does defending liberalism leave you friendless and perhaps wondering about your breath?”

“Leaving America is like losing twenty pounds and finding a new girlfriend.”

“When they show the destruction of society on color TV, I want to be able to look out over Los Angeles and make sure they get it right.”