Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Phil Ochs
Canonical path: /phil-ochs/tape-from-california
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
Tape From California
Read Tape From California lyrics by Phil Ochs on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
Tape From California
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Whos that coming down the road
A sailor from the sea
He looks a lot like me
Id know him anywhere, had to stare
Feathers at his fingertips
A halo round his spine
He must have lost his mind
He should be put away, right away
In the corner of the night
He handed me his waterpipe
His eyes were searching deep inside my head
Heres what he said
Sorry I cant stop and talk now
Im in kind of a hurry anyhow
But Ill send you a tape from california
New york city has exploded and its crashed upon my head
I dove beneath the bed
Fighting, biting nails, turning pale
The landlords at my window
And the burglars at my door
I cant take it anymore
I guess Ill have to fly, its worth a try
Someones banging on the wall
But theres no party to recall
The singer of the shadows of his soul
So hes been told
Sorry I cant stop and talk now
Im in kind of a hurry anyhow
But Ill send you a tape from california
From the mirror of my mantle to the velvet on my bed
Trapped upon a stolen stage, a barrymore at best(? )
My rhymes are all repeating, ballads growing blind
Words have turned to water, the women turned to wine
The draft board is debating if theyd like to take my life
Id sooner take a wife and have raise a child or two
Wouldnt you?
Peace has turned to poison
The flag has blown a fuse
Even courage is confused
And now all the brave are in the grave
Century is bending(? )
Have a very happy ending
To the victor go the ashes of the spoil
Seeds in the soil
Sorry I cant stop and talk now
Im in kind of a hurry anyhow
But Ill send you a tape from california
The flower-power fuller brush man
Is farming out his friends
I stabbed him with my stem
And then I tapped his toes with my rose
He crawled around inside himself
Now hes crawling after me
Dropping acid in my tea
He wants to save his soul
Rock and roll
One of us must understand
Its not the drug that makes the man
Then a poster of a movie star walked by
He must have been high
Sorry I cant stop and talk now
Im in kind of a hurry anyhow
But Ill send you a tape from
california
Half the world is crazy and the other half is scared
Maddonas do the minuet for the naked millionaires
The anarchists are rising while were racing for the moon
It doesnt take a seer to see that the scene is coming soon
So whos that coming down the road
A sailor from the sea
He looks a lot like me
Id know him anywhere
Had to stare
A fire around his fingertips
A song around his spine
He must have found his mind
He should be put away
Anyway
Surrounded by the slaughter
Now Im boarding(? ) at the border
When the echoes of my ecstacy appear
Wish I was here
Sorry I cant stop and talk now
Im in kind of a hurry anyhow
But Ill send you a tape from california
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Who performs "Tape From California"?
Phil Ochs performs "Tape From California", and this lyric page sits inside the Phil Ochs catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Tape From California"?
Yes. The related section below points to Another Country and A Toast to Those Who Are Gone with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Phil Ochs?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Phil Ochs's lyric pages.
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