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• Friday, November 21, 2008 10:13 AM

  Love Me I'm A Liberal

  Back in the day, for those of us who believed that a radical rupture with the old way was (and is) necessary, 'liberal' had a very specific and pejorative meaning : The lyrics to Phil Ochs' "Love Me I'm a Liberal" is dated, but said it all. Let's find a descriptive for ourselves that does not carry this baggage with it.

  "I cried when they shot Medgar Evers

  Tears ran down my spine

  I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy

  As though I'd lost a father of mine

  But Malcolm X got what was coming

  He got what he asked for this time

  So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

  I go to civil rights rallies

  And I put down the old D.A.R.

  I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy

  I hope every colored boy becomes a star

  But don't talk about revolution

  That's going a little bit too far

  So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

  I cheered when Humphrey was chosen

  My faith in the system restored

  I'm glad the commies were thrown out

  of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board

  I love Puerto Ricans and Negros

  as long as they don't move next door

  So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

  The people of old Mississippi

  Should all hang their heads in shame

  I can't understand how their minds work

  What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?

  But if you ask me to bus my children

  I hope the cops take down your name

  So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

  I read New republic and Nation

  I've learned to take every view

  You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden

  I feel like I'm almost a Jew

  But when it comes to times like Korea

  There's no one more red, white and blue

  So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

  I vote for the democratic party

  They want the U.N. to be strong

  I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts

  He sure gets me singing those songs

  I'll send all the money you ask for

  But don't ask me to come on along

  So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

  Once I was young and impulsive

  I wore every conceivable pin

  Even went to the socialist meetings

  Learned all the old union hymns

  But I've grown older and wiser

  And that's why I'm turning you in

  So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

  Phil Ochs

  —gizmo77 Read gizmo77's other letters
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