The demonstrations on college campuses across the nation are evoking memories of student protests during the Vietnam War era. The issues then and now are much different, but the lyrics of a 1966 song about the disconnect between college students and the people who run higher education still resonate today.

The song, Phil Ochs’ “I’m Going to Say It Now,” is sung from the perspective of a college student who questions authority:

You’d like to be my father, you’d like to be my Dad
And give me kisses when I’m good and spank me when I’m bad
But since I left my parents I’ve forgotten how to bow
So when I’ve got something to say, sir, I’m gonna say it now.

Ochs studied journalism at Ohio State University. Although he left college without earning a degree, he often described himself as a “singing journalist.”

It is in that spirit that we select our Sharp Notes Monday songs, a sort of soundtrack for the times in which we live. And “I’m Going to Say It Now” is what’s playing on that soundtrack this week.

As part of our “Sharp Notes, Sharp Thoughts” music and social media project, we share a song every Monday to start your week.

View previous Sharp Notes Monday selections.

Visit our “Sharp Notes, Sharp Thoughts” music and social media page to learn more about the project and view videos of our presentations.

Categories: Jandoli Institute, Music and Social Justice, Sharp Notes Monday, Sharp Notes Sharp Thoughts

Tags: Sharp Notes Monday