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Draft Dodger Rag
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This song is part of a long tradition of songs about avoiding conscription, closely related to the long tradition of songs about the misery of army life and the horror of war.
politics marijuana cannabis antiwar political iraq media social struggle israel cuba pirates environment labor afghanistan empire imperialism capitalism terrorism activism bullying bullies ecoterrorism guerrilla gardening irish hunger strike oil leaks oil spills social change
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"If the great Phil Ochs were to rise from the dead today, he would probably be hailed as the new David Rovics." Andy Kershaw, BBC
Song Info
Genre
Acoustic • Acoustic Folk
Charts
Peak #155
Peak in subgenre #25
Author
Sung by David Rovics
Rights
Written by Phil Ochs
Uploaded
June 14, 2005
Track Files
MP3
MP3 5.3 MB • 128 kbps • 0:00
Story behind the song
Phil Ochs was one of the greatest, most prolific songwriters of the latter twentieth century in my view, and I rely heavily on his songs for the presentations I do on the movements of the 1960's. This song is part of a long tradition of songs about avoiding conscription, closely related to the long tradition of songs about the misery of army life and the horror of war. I'd say it's definitely one of the best among them.
Lyrics
(by Phil Ochs) Well, I'm just a typical American boy From a typical American town I believe in god and Senator Dodd And keeping old Castro down And when it came my time to serve I knew better dead than red But when I got to my old draft board Buddy, this is what I said (chorus) Sarge, I'm only eighteen, I got a ruptured spleen And I always carry a purse I got eyes like a bat, my feet are flat And my asthma's getting worse Oh, think of my career, my sweetheart, dear My poor old invalid aunt Besides I ain't no fool, I'm a-goin' to school And I'm working in a defense plant I got a dislocated disc and a racked-up back I'm allergic to flowers and bugs When the bombshell hits I get epileptic fits I'm addicted to a thousand drugs I got the weakness woes, I can't touch my toes I can hardly reach my knees And if the enemy came close to me I'd probably start to sneeze (chorus> Well, I hate Chou En-lai, I hope he dies But one thing you gotta see Is that someone's gotta go over there And that someone isn't me So I wish you well, sarge, give 'em hell Yeah, kill me a thousand or so And if you ever get a war without blood and gore I'll be the first to go (chorus>
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