"There But for Fortune" by Phil Ochs.

OK, boys and girls, back to the 60s: A prisoner, a hobo, a drunkard and a country that has been bombed. The late great Phil Ochs wrote about them in this seminal 1963 protest song. Possibly, none of his other tunes express his humanity as well as this one. Unfortunately, his career was marred by writer's block and depression. He left us in 1976 by suicide fueled by his end-stage alcoholism. Joan Baez's 1964 version won her a Grammy for Best Folk Recording and peaked at #50, making it Ochs' biggest commercial hit. Covered by The New Christy Minstrels and by Peter, Paul and Mary. Monica Barbaro masterfully interpreted it last year in "A Complete Unknown". Song? Answer: "There But for Fortune" by Phil Ochs. The title is based upon John Bradford's "There but for the grace of God go I", signifying humility and acceptance of one's fate. It is also used by Paul Simon in the last line of Simon and Garfunkel's "Kathy's Song". If you haven't seen "A Complete Unknown", I highly recommend it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lFPIIdud9o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4BYOJ1tc-k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JgZgd_xe_Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp_XZ3OKA70

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