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| Songwriter Phil Ochs (1940-1976). |
Today, the humor in the 1966 tune, "Love Me, I'm a Liberal", is dated, dark and disturbing. Nevertheless, it brings up a much neglected subject: while radio talk shows are almost exclusively right wing, television comedy is the province of progressives. One wonders why some enterprising soul doesn't hire a bunch of comics to write daily hour-long radio slots and syndicate them inexpensively to radio stations.
Another topic the song inspires is the rehabilitation of the word "liberal". The Kennedys, Lenny Bruce and the counterculture laid the general groundwork, but this song began a long process of convincing people to self-identify as "liberal". This journey culminated on November 6th, 2005, with Season 7, Episode 7 of "West Wing", when candidate Arnold Vinick (played by Alan Alda) accuses Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) of being a liberal.
I shouldn't tell this story but there's a few things you need to know about the frenetic Alan Alda. He loves to play bridge, especially online. While doing so, he likes to type in jokes, especially political ones, to amuse players and kibitzers alike.Phil's relationship with Bob Dylan was erratic. From Wikipedia:
Back in 1996, with Bill Clinton facing off against 73 year old Bob Dole (and Ross Perot), Alan asks everyone what we get when we cross a crooked lawyer with a corrupt politician. Answer: Chelsea! Alda then talks about Elizabeth Dole asking her husband, Bob, what underwear he would like to wear in his presidential debate that night.
"Boxers or briefs?" she wonders.
He replies: "Depends."
During the early period of his career, Ochs and Bob Dylan had a friendly rivalry. Dylan said of Ochs, "I just can't keep up with Phil. And he just keeps getting better and better and better". On another occasion, when Ochs criticized "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" Dylan threw him out of his limousine, saying, "You're not a folksinger. You're a journalist."For more on this revolutionary artist, watch the American Masters documentary "Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune", based on his song by that name, covered here by his friend, Joan Baez.
Lyrics:
I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every colored boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown out
of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crane?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I read New republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
I vote for the democratic party
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal
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