Phil Ochs: Pleasures of the Harbor

And the ship sets the sail
They've lived the tale
To carry to the shore
Straining at the oars
Or staring from the rail

And the sea bids farewell
She waves in swells
And sends them on their way
Time has been her pay
And time will have to tell

Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

And the anchor hits the sand
The hungry hands
Have tied them to the port
The hour will be short
For leisure on the land

And the girls scent the air
They seem so fair
With paint upon their face
Soft is their embrace
To lead them up the stairs

Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

In the room dark and dim
Touch of skin
He asks her of her name
She answers with no shame
And not a sense of sin

Till the fingers draw the blinds
Sip of wine
The cigarette of doubt
The candle is blown out
The darkness is so kind

Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

And the shadows frame the light
Same old sight
Thrill has blown away
Now all on and on they lay
Two strangers in the night

Till his heart skips a beat
He's on his feet
To shipmates he must join
Shes counting up the coins
He swallowed by the street

Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

In the bar hangs a cloud
The whiskeys loud
There's laughter in their eyes
The lonely in disguise
Are clinging to the crowd

And the bottle fills the glass
The haze is fast
He's trembling for the taste
Of passion gone to waste
In memories of the past

Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

In the alley, red with rain
Cry of pain
For love was but a smile
Teasing all the while
Now dancing down the drain

Till the boys reach the dock
They gently mock
Lift him on their backs
Lay him on his rack
And leave beneath the light

Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

And the ship sets the sail
They've lived the tale
To carry from the shore
Straining at the oars
Or staring from the rail

And the sea bids farewell
She waves in swells
And sends them on their way
Time has been her pay
And time will have to tell

Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

References

Uploaded on Nov 8, 2008 by Shapelander

Wikipedia: Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs (pronounced /ˈoʊks/) (December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American protest singer (or, as he preferred, a topical singer) and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice. He wrote hundreds of songs in the 1960s and released eight albums in his lifetime.

On April 9, 1976, Ochs hanged himself.

Wikipedia: Pleasures of the Harbor
Pleasures of the Harbor was Phil Ochs' fourth full-length album and his first for A&M Records, released in 1967. It is one of Ochs's most somber albums. In stark contrast to his three albums for Elektra Records which had all been basically folk music, Pleasures of the Harbor featured traces of classical, rock and roll, Dixieland jazz and experimental synthesized music crossing with folk, in hopes of producing a "folk-pop" crossover.

Liner Notes for Phil Och's Pleasures of the Harbor By Richie Unterberger

My Personal Notes
I fell in love with song and with the album when I first heard it in 1969. Pleasures of the Harbor is so nostalgic, the quintessential music for sitting at the window and thinking of old times, maybe better times.

2011-02-17

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