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There But For Fortune

by Phil Ochs

Show me the prison, show me the jail
Show me the prisoner whose life has gone stale
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you or I

Show me the alley, show me the train
Show me the hobo who sleeps out in the rain
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you or I

Show me the whiskey, stains on the floor
Show me the drunkard as he stumbles out the door
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you or I

Show me the country, where the bombs had to fall
Show me the ruins of the buildings, once so tall
And I'll show you a young land
With so many reasons why
And there but for fortune go you and I,
You and I.

Notes 簡介

Phil Ochs in live performance. Joan Baez's cover of 'There But For Fortune' was a hit. Click to enlarge (click again to close)
Phil Ochs 現場表演。 Joan Baez 翻唱的《There But For Fortune》大受歡迎。 點擊放大(再擊關閉)
This song was written and originally recorded by the protest singer Phil Ochs in 1964. From civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 1970s.

Similar to the biblical saying "there but for the grace of God go I", "there but for fortune" means our station in life is largely determined by events that are out of our control. We would like to think our success is owed to hard work and merit, but in most cases we had some help and got a few breaks and maybe luck along the way.

The lyrics detail different lives of turmoil. There are four verses. One details being jailed, one an alcoholic, one a homeless man, and one a war-torn country.

This song was written at the beginning of Och’s career. By the end of his life he had experienced three of those events. As we read of Och’s struggles, we must realize that his story could be ours, were it not for fortune.

Joan Baez recorded "There but for Fortune" in 1964, and her version of the song became a chart hit. The lyrics are universal. At their roots, the lyrics simply remind us that no matter how bad off we are, things could be worse. Joan Baez’s beautiful voice drives that point home in every chorus: "There but for fortune, go you and I, you and I."

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