Phil Ochs — Searching for the Fool
He was one of the musical icons of my childhood. Back then, as now, he was known primarily for “I Ain’t Marchin’ Anymore,” “Draft Dodger Rag,” and other overtly political protest songs of the 1960’s. But as the decade drew to a close, Phil Ochs sought a new direction. To that end, he tried writing more personal material in a style inspired by the early days of rock and roll.
Among his late work is this curiosity, which tells the story of a lavish party disrupted by one of the guests. “While we were dancing,” the narrator relates, for no apparent reason, someone ruined the occasion by tossing a gourmet food basket into a swimming pool. It was “the worst of manners” and “the worst of taste.” So “who was the fool”?
The song leaves the question unanswered. But it refers to a real incident at an actual party. And the unspoken punchline is that “the fool” was (more…)