Half A Century High

By Phil Ochs

        G         C         G
In the tube where I was born
  C               Bm
I could have sworn
      C                D 
There was so much to see
       C                D
There was so little to be
             G  C  G
But I was free
B7            
World at my command
Em
Through the dots I ran
Am              D                  G  
Looking for a man who looked like me
Em                    D
And now it can be told
      Em                      D
I'm a quarter of a century old
         G      F       G  F  G 
But I'm half a century high

In the tube where I was raised
I was amazed
On the pictures I would lean
That went flashing on the screen
Oh, I was dazed
But then my eyes were made
hypnotized insane (?)
Buried in my brain
In a blinding blaze
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But I'm half a century high

In the tube where I was grown
I was alone
The figure on the floor (Laying on the floor)
The dream behind the door (I'd lock the closet door)
The sound was low
Ballgames on the street
Disappeared behind my feet
Out of breath my heart would be
To see another show
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But I'm half a century high

In the tube where I was made
I was afraid
Spinning through the space
another scene, another face,
Another shade
Mirror of my mind
On electric wheels of wine
Living on the lines that were displayed
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But I'm half a century high

In the tube where I was fed
I lost my head
I watch the lives they led
Watch them to the end
And then again
An open kind of laugh
I gave all the mind I had
And whenever I was sad
I had my friends
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But I'm half a century high

In the tube where I was killed
I was fulfilled
Such an easy way to win
Talking to my twin
No sign of sin
the sacrifice was small
fascination was the fall
I was extended by the wall that held me in
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But I'm half a century high

In the tube where I was killed
I was fulfilled
The lies of light would bend
I'd stare until the end
And then again
Faded and the fad
I gave all the mind I had
And whenever I was sad
I had my friends
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But I'm half a century high

In the tube where I was born
I could have sworn
There was so much to see
There was so little to be
But I was free
World at my command
Through the dots I ran
Looking for a man who looked like me
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But I'm half a century high

Notes:

Due to the way this song was done on Tape From California, I could not understand some key lyrics. But, thanks to the version on Phil Ochs at Newport, I was able to understand those bits. The former version, consists of only verses 1, 3 and 7 The third verse had a couple of different lines, the version in parenthesis is from the latter album. Also, on the latter version, the word "wise" was used instead of the word "high".

Chords supplied by Danny Korman and corrected by James Barnett