"Power and the Glory" (sometimes titled "The Power and the Glory") is an American patriotic song by

Phil Ochs Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter and protest singer (or, as he preferred, a topical singer). Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, political activism, often alliterative lyrics, and ...

, a

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

protest singer A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. Among social mov ...

from the 1960s known for being a harsh critic of the American military and industrial establishment. Originally released on his 1964 debut album, ''

All the News That's Fit to Sing ''All the News That's Fit to Sing'' was Phil Ochs's first official album. Recorded in 1964 for Elektra Records, it was full of many elements that would come back throughout his career. It was the album that defined his "singing journalist" pha ...

,'' "Power and the Glory" is said to have contributed to Ochs' profound impact.

History

Singer/songwriter Phil Ochs is said to have "spent half his adult life dodging

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

microphones hidden in his soup." By 1963, Ochs was not well thought of by the U.S. government and was deemed one of the harshest critics of the American military and industrial establishment. In that same year, Ochs began writing "Power and the Glory," a song that honors the way of life that America symbolized to the world. While composing the song, Ochs told his sister Sonny that he was writing "the greatest song I'll ever write". The song has been described as an "anthem ... with lyrics that might have been written by the great

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

". Said to be the American patriotic hymn best at combining the American dream with selfless Christian ideals "Power and the Glory" consists of three verses, each followed by a chorus. The first verse invites the listener to walk with the singer, and it describes some of the natural wonders of the United States. The second verse names some of the states through which the listener and the singer would travel. The third verse notes that the United States is "only as rich as the poorest of the poor" but also as "strong as our love for this land". The chorus of "Power and the Glory" describes the United States as "a land full of power and glory": A fourth verse, not added to the final production release, but found in a bootleg demo recording and confirmed by Ochs' sister Sonny, contains a call to action:

Legacy

"Power and the Glory" is said to have contributed to Ochs' profound impact. "Power and the Glory" also has been

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

by many performers, including

Theodore Bikel Theodore Meir Bikel ( ; May 2, 1924 – July 21, 2015) was an Austrian-American actor, folk singer, musician, composer, unionist, and political activist. He appeared in films, including '' The African Queen'' (1951), ''Moulin Rouge'' (1952), ' ...

Anita Bryant Anita Jane Bryant (born March 25, 1940) is an American singer known for anti-gay activism. She scored four "Top 40" hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses" which reached No. 5 on the charts. She was th ...

Ronnie Gilbert Ruth Alice "Ronnie" Gilbert (September 7, 1926 – June 6, 2015), was an American folk singer, songwriter, actress and political activist. She was one of the original members of the music quartet the Weavers, as a contralto with Pete Seeger, Le ...

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

The Limeliters The Limeliters are an American folk music group, formed in July 1959 by Lou Gottlieb (bass violin/bass), Alex Hassilev (banjo/baritone), and Glenn Yarbrough (guitar/tenor). The group was active from 1959 until 1965, and then after a hiatus of si ...

, Clem Tholet, and the U.S. Army Soldiers Chorus. Ochs, who was a

leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

, was particularly amused by Bryant's cover because of her

right-wing Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, authorit ...

political views. In 1974 Ochs re-recorded the song in a new arrangement, with a

fife and drum A Fife and drum corps is a musical ensemble consisting of fifes and drums. In the United States of America, fife and drum corps specializing in colonial period impressions using fifes, rope tension snare drums, and (sometimes) rope tension bas ...

accompaniment, that was influenced by Bryant's version. Ochs' 1974 version was released as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

. In 2018,

Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is ...

wrote that "Power and the Glory" "should be sung in schools across America".

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1963 songs 1974 singles American patriotic songs Phil Ochs songs Songs written by Phil Ochs Pete Seeger songs Song recordings produced by Jac Holzman A&M Records singles