[Vintage54]

            Is there still room for this kind of song? Answers on a postcard, to......
            The ghost of Phil Ochs
               1965, Greenwich village,
                  New York.

                                  No freedom in the wind.

                    Till we stop breaking bread with tyrants
                    Till their fists no longer pound
                    And the people no more fear the fall
                    Of jackboots on the ground
                    Till we blow away the bad seeds
                    That they scatter all around
                    There'll be no freedom in the wind

                    No freedom in the wind
                    No freedom in the wind
                    The ghost of Che Guevara cries
                    No freedom in the wind

                    Till we blow away the crosses
                    That are burning in the night
                    And we blow away the hatred
                    Neath the pointed hoods of white
                    We can gaze up at the stars above
                    But we won't see the light
                    And there'll be no freedom in the wind

                    No freedom in the wind
                    No freedom in the wind
                    The ghosts of Alabama cry
                    No freedom in the wind

                    Till we start throwing out more lifelines
                    To the poor who till the soil
                    Instead of following the pipelines
                    Where the rich men drill for oil
                    Vain will be the harvest
                    Vain will be the toil
                    And there'll be no freedom in the wind

                    No freedom in the wind
                    No freedom in the wind
                    The ghosts of hungry children cry
                    No freedom in the wind

                    Till we think before we leap
                    Into another senseless war
                    And go blowing like a hurricane
                    Upon some distant shore
                    Till we knock before we enter
                    Instead of kicking down the door
                    There'll be no freedom in the wind

                    No freedom in the wind
                    No freedom in the wind
                    The ghost of Betsy Ross cries out
                    No freedom in the wind.

                             Vintage54

[Neil C]

Vintage, There sure is, I've just read it!
Clear message, some great lines, love v2 and you've a simple effective chorus.
As I read I could hear a tune in my head start to form.  a simple guitar harp vibe. The 7 line verse would add some interest structurally.
I've no idea who Phil Ochs is but I'd better find out.
Great
 
Neil

[igg]

Vintage,

Very nicely done....  Phil and Buffy would be proud!!
Vivid imagery, poignant sentiment, excellent flow!

Bravo!

igg

[lillypilly]

There is definitely more room for songs like these Vintage

This is such a strong write I love it and cannot and will not fault it

Had a tune in my head as I read it for the 4th time

[hardtwistmusic]

In terms of current market conditions, there is no "market" for songs that make one uncomfortable and make one think. 

But there is ROOM for them.  And a need for them.  And markets are cyclical.  The one thing that doesn't constantly changes is the fact that change always occurs. 

Meaningful songs that protest wrong minded policies and attitudes WILL come back.  Dunno when. 

And we cannot know whether our attempts to provide what today's audience doesn't want to be bothered by will still be available when they do come back. 

But they will be back. 

[johnlondon]

Hello V54,  I remember the name Phil Ochs, I think here in the UK we pronounced it `oaks` I don`t know if that was correct. The sixties folkies loved him and some seventies punks gave him an honourable mention as an influence, but he was never huge. In truth I don`t remember his works.

Whilst I`ve got a head and a heart there will be at least a little room for this type of song, even if the market prefers its gibberish lyrics (apparently often plagiarised) I`m certain there are plenty of discerning and dissenting types.

Stay lucky and keep writing, I enjoy your lyrics.

[Arkwright]

Hey Vintage...

Did you really ask 'Is there still room for a song like this'?

If there isn't, then you've just made room.

This ticks every one of my boxes for a great lyric. It's meaningful, emotional and not in any way 'preachy' which is always a danger with this type of song.

Flows beautifully and the rhyme scheme is faultless.

Certainly on of my top 5 lyrics since I joined the forum.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go away and re evaluate my own lyric writing abilities 

[Paulski]

Hi Vintage

Great set of lyrics, this. Reminded me of a nice Canadian song:

Four Strong Winds

Ripe for music IMHO

Paul