Crucifixion
Phil Ochs
Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!
And the night comes again to the circle studded sky The stars settle slowly, in lonliness they lie 'Till the universe expodes as a falling star is raised Planets are paralyzed, mountains are amazed But they all glow brighter from the briliance of the blaze With the speed of insanity, then he dies. In the green fields a turnin', a baby is born His cries crease the wind and mingle with the morn An assault upon the order, the changing of the guard Chosen for a challenge that is hopelessly hard And the only single sound is the sighing of the stars But to the silence and distance they are sworn So dance dance dance Teach us to be true Come dance dance dance 'Cause we love you Images of innocence charge him go on But the decadence of destiny is looking for a pawn To a nightmare of knowledge he opens up the gate And a blinding revelation is laid upon his plate That beneath the greatest love is a hurricane of hate And God help the critic of the dawn. So he stands on the sea and shouts to the shore, But the louder that he screams the longer he's ignored For the wine of oblivion is drunk to the dregs And the merchants of the masses almost have to be begged 'Till the giant is aware, someone's pulling at his leg, And someone is tapping at the door. To dance dance dance Teach us to be true Come dance dance dance 'Cause we love you Then his message gathers meaning and it spreads across the land The rewarding of his pain is the following of the man But ignorance is everywhere and people have their way Success is an enemy to the losers of the day In the shadows of the churches, who knows what they pray For blood is the language of the band. The Spanish bulls are beaten; the crowd is soon beguiled, The matador is beautiful, a symphony of style Excitement is estatic, passion places bets Gracefully he bows to ovations that he gets But the hands that are applauding are slippery with sweat And saliva is falling from their smiles So dance dance dance Teach us to be true Come dance dance dance 'Cause we love you Then this overflow of life is crushed into a liar The gentle soul is ripped apart and tossed into the fire. First a smile of rejection at the nearness of the night Truth becomes a tragedy limping from the light All the heavens are horrified, they stagger from the sight As the cross is trembling with desire. They say they can't believe it, it's a sacreligious shame Now, who would want to hurt such a hero of the game? But you know I predicted it; I knew he had to fall How did it happen? I hope his suffering was small. Tell me every detail, for I've got to know it all, And do you have a picture of the pain? So dance dance dance Teach us to be true Come dance dance dance 'Cause we love you Time takes her toll and the memory fades but his glory is broken, in the magic that he made. Reality is ruined; it's the freeing from the fear The drama is distorted, to what they want to hear Swimming in their sorrow, in the twisting of a tear As they wait for the new thrill parade. Yes, the eyes of the rebel have been branded by the blind To the safety of sterility, the threat has been refined The child was created to the slaughterhouse he's led So good to be alive when the eulogy is read The climax of emotion, the worship of the dead And the cycle of sacrifice unwinds. So dance dance dance Teach us to be true Come dance dance dance 'Cause we love you And the night comes again to the circle studded sky The stars settle slowly, in lonliness they lie 'Till the universe expodes as a falling star is raised Planets are paralyzed, mountains are amazed But they all glow brighter from the briliance of the blaze With the speed of insanity, then he died.
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: PHIL OCHS
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Song Background"Crucifixion" is a song written by American folk singer-songwriter Phil Ochs. He was known for composing topical songs that dealt with contemporary issues and, in this case, a tragic historical event.
|
InspirationThe song is not about the Christian event as one might initially assume. Instead, Ochs wrote the song about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He viewed Kennedy's death as a kind of “crucifixion” in the metaphorical sense - of having martyred, destroyed, or sacrificed a public figure for a greater cause.
|
CompositionOchs reportedly began writing "Crucifixion" while on a trip to Africa in 1963. He mentioned how African drums inspired him to start creating the song.
|
Song LengthThe song is quite lengthy compared to other folk songs of its era, running for about 8 minutes. This reflects the magnitude and incredible detail in which Phil Ochs describes the event.
|
ReleasePhil Ochs officially released "Crucifixion" as part of his 1967 album "Pleasures of the Harbor."
|
Musical StyleUnlike most of Ochs's earlier work, "Crucifixion" branches off from traditional song structure. It's more orchestral, featuring varied instruments including strings, and there is a certain poetic and metaphorical depth to the lyrics.
|
Live PerformancesOchs often brought a transcendent intensity to live performances of "Crucifixion." Notably, he introduced the song with a monologue explaining its significant connection to the Kennedy assassination.
|
Cultural InfluenceDespite not becoming a chart hit, "Crucifixion" has had a lasting impact in folk and protest music, frequently covered and praised for its passionate and deep-digging social commentary.
|
RecognitionMusic historians often regard "Crucifixion" as one of Phil Ochs's highest achievements as a songwriter, praised for its poetic lyrics and unique narrative structure.
|
LegacyThe song remains as a powerful statement about the societal effects of violence on public figures, inspiring many other artists and songwriters to address related themes in their work.
|
Citation
Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Crucifixion Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/35659095/Phil+Ochs/Crucifixion>.
Discuss the Crucifixion Lyrics with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In