Love Me, I’m a Liberal | Phil Ochs

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


Ben Grosscup



I mourned the Tiananmen martyrs
Whose free speech was so brutally quelled
And I cheered when Mandela walked freely
After so many years in a cell
But Chelsea Manning had to face justice
Those secrets were not hers to tell
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I’ll sign just about any petition
And I’ll gladly accept your brochure
I love Oprah and Magic and Foreman
I wish blacks were all entrepreneurs
Capitalism may need saving
Revolution just isn’t the cure
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I cheered when Obama was chosen
My faith in the system restored
And I'll never forgive Ralph Nader
For the race he stole from Al Gore
And I love hard-working Latinos
As long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Ah, the people who joined the tea parties
Disgrace America’s name
Now I can't understand how their minds work
FOX News must have programmed their brains
But if you think you’ll get Single Payer
You must be clinically insane
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I listen to All Things Considered
I’d consider anyone’s views
I watch Bill Maher and John Stewart
I use irony in everything I do
But when time came to take out the Taliban
There was 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’re strengthening NATO command
I saw Bono at the Live Eight Concert
I buy everything he’s endorsed with his brand
We’re gonna make poverty history
I’m on Facebook, taking a stand!
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Sure once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
A radical change to the system
I actually thought we might win
Ah, 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


Kevin Devine



I cried on September 11th
Tears ran down my spine
Like I cry for each murdered Iraqi
As though I've lost a neighbor of mine
But Afghanistan got what was coming
It was the right thing to do at the time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

And I go to the anti-war rallies
Curse George and the whole G.O.P.
And I can't get enough of Obama
Oh his message of change speaks to me
But sure Nader's right about most things
But he cost Gore that election, you see
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

And I bristled with rage through Katrina
The response make me sick to my heart
I'm sure FEMA would've come running
Had it flooded rich whites in Cape Cod
But don't talk about revolution
Cause that's going just a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Yes I vote for the Democratic Party
I figure soon enough they'll come along
And I attended those vote for change concerts
And they sure got me singing those songs
And I'm bothered about corporate government
But I do want our brand to trade strong
So love me, love me, love me I'm a liberal

Yes I read the New Yorker and Nation
And I've learned to take every view
And I idolize Franken and Stewart
Hell I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes down to globalized markets
Well there's no one more red, white, and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

And sure once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to some socialist meetings
Yeah I learned all the old union hymns
But oh 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.