Phil Ochs – Here’s to the State of Mississippi

Phil Ochs – Here’s to the State of Mississippi Lyrics

Artist: Phil Ochs
Song: Here’s to the State of Mississippi

Here’s to the state of Mississippi
For underneath her borders, the devil draws no line
If you drag her muddy river, nameless bodies you will find
The fat trees of the forest have hid a thousand crimes

The calendar is lyin’ when it reads the present time
Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Mississippi, find yourself another country to be part of
Here’s to the people of Mississippi

Who say the folks up north, they just don’t understand
And they tremble in their shadows at the thunder of the Klan
The sweating of their souls can’t wash the blood from off their hands
They smile and shrug their shoulders at the murder of a man

Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Mississippi, find yourself another country to be part of
Here’s to the schools of Mississippi
Where they’re teaching all the children that they don’t have to care

All the rudiments of hatred are present everywhere
And every single classroom is a factory of despair
And there’s nobody learning such a foreign word as “fair”
Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of

Mississippi, find yourself another country to be part of
Here’s to the cops of Mississippi
They’re chewing their tobacco as they lock the prison door
Their bellies bounce inside them as they knock you to the floor

No they don’t like taking prisoners in their private little war
Behind their broken badges there are murderers and more
Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Mississippi, find yourself another country to be part of

And here’s to the judges of Mississippi
Who wear the robes of honor as they crawl into the court
They’re guarding all the bastions with their phony legal fort
Oh, justice is a stranger when the prisoners report

When the black man stands accused, the trial is always short
Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Mississippi, find yourself another country to be part of
And here’s to the government of Mississippi

In the swamp of their bureaucracy they’re always bogging down
And criminals are posing as the mayors of the towns
They’re hoping that no one sees the sights
And no one hears the sounds

And the speeches of the governor are the ravings of a clown
Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Mississippi, find yourself another country to be part of
And here’s to the laws of Mississippi

Congressmen will gather in a circus of delay
While the Constitution’s drowning in an ocean of decay
“Unwed mothers should be sterilized”, I’ve even heard them say
Yes, corruption can be classic in the Mississippi way

Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Mississippi, find yourself another country to be part of
And here’s to the churches of Mississippi
Where the cross once made of silver now is caked with rust

And the Sunday morning sermons pander to their lust
The fallen face of Jesus is choking in the dust
And heaven only knows in which God they can trust
Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of

Mississippi, find yourself another country to be part of
Find more lyrics at https://dcslyrics.com

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Phil Ochs Lyrics – Here’s to the State of Mississippi

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From the album:
The Best Of The Rest: Rare And Unreleased Recordings
Release Year: 2020