Phil Ochs
Lyric guide

The Floods of Florence

Read The Floods of Florence lyrics by Phil Ochs on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Phil Ochs visibility0 visits
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Phil Ochs Canonical path: /phil-ochs/the-floods-of-florence Related lyric paths: 6
Lyrics

The Floods of Florence

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

Picasso leans out of the window, looks out on the ghetto

Changing the shapes he sees.

His old friend El Greco, soon is expected,

Now just an echo of Spanish seas.

And outside, the people stare;

Wondering what's going on in there!

Tossing the dice; they pay the price, so they can compare.

CHORUS:

And the holy (wordsworks?) of love and reverence

Fell beneath the floods of Florence.

The shop girls go out to the galleries spending their salaries

To see if they catch a hold.

They meet an old master, like some unknown lover,

For some unknown reason he's never old.

And the auctioneer clears his throat,

What am I bid for this bottled boat?

A tap on the rail

Sunk with a sail, but soon she's afloat. (chorus)

Griffith pulls out his whiskey; the mad room is misty

Covered with yesterdays.

The girl is so pretty, she asks for a memory.

He touches her knee and she fades away.

But the box office line is long;

The spectacular show is on.

Thirsty for thrills, the fountain is filled

With dreams of the dawn. (chorus)

The troubador comes from the country, falls by the factory,

Sliding on simple strings.

Armed with his anger, he sings of the danger

He senses a stranger is in the wings.

But the fledgling has learned to fly;

All of the innocence leaves his eye.

Echoes explode, rolled from the road--

The melody dies. (chorus)

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "The Floods of Florence"?

Phil Ochs performs "The Floods of Florence", and this lyric page sits inside the Phil Ochs catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "The Floods of Florence"?

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.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on The Floods of Florence yet.