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When In Rome
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Phil Ochs
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1
A
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In the fire blue forests, faded and forgotten
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I crawled through the cotton fields, picking for cotton
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D
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The overseer sneered, his whipping was rotten
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A
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With ecstasy.
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F#m
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Im child-like terror I tore out the tap roots
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Bm
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Cards of the lash were calling to follow suit
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E7
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I dashed for the swamps, the hounds in hot pursuit
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D A
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Jealously.
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C#7 F#m
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All through the night a figure of fright, as I hid my head
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C#7 F#m
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And the buried their nose in a cut of my cloths, now torn in shreds
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C#7 B
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And they never would leave until they believed that I was dead
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E A
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But I'd never curse their names
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E A
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Oh, who am I to blame
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E A
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I know I'd do the same
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B
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Endlessly.
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C#m
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And all the high-born ladies
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F#m
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So lovely and so true,
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B
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Have been handed to the soldiers
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E
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When in Rome do as the Romans do.
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Frail and afraid in the mists of the morning
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The snakes and the spiders were sadly performing
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The bark of the dogs kept up the warning
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Inside the wood.
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Sweating and swearing I crawled from the manger
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The highway appeared to take me from danger
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Is there anyone here who would pick up a stranger?
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Oh I wish you could.
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Then someone replied "would you like a ride?"
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"Come in" he said.
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We drove for a while, he gave me a smile and a piece of bread
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The hammer was hard in the chrome of the car as I cracked his head
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Then we took off in a spin
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Oh I smashed his skull again
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Oh thank you my good friend,
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I feel so good.
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And all the high-born ladies
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So lovely and so true,
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Have been handed to the soldiers
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When in Rome do as the Romans do.
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Late in the evening I came to the city
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I fell to the sidewalks sighing for pity
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A diamond was dropped from the hands of the pretty
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To be so kind.
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Cowards and corpses were busy competing
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The rhymes of the riots were busy repeating
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I raced to the corner and sped(?) from the speeding
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To save my mind.
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Latches and locks, companies of cops ran from the rain
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There was silk in the stores for the whims of the whores
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That shone with shame.
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I asked for a light from a priest in the night
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Then I fanned the flames.
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And the traffic all stood still
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To see if someone had been killed
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I was glad to leave a thrill
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So far behind.
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And all the high-born ladies
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So lovely and so true,
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Have been handed to the soldiers
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When in Rome do as the Romans do.
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A monk and his mother were dancing so dandy
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A topless nun was handing out candy
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The beautiful bishop broke out the brandy
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The kiss we crave.
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They stuttered and stammered, would I feel like staying
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We fell to our knees, feverishly praying
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The salt in the salt-peter seemed to be saying
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Be brave, be brave.
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I reached reached for a robe, I preached and I probed
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And I taught the tune.
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And the greed for the gills was played to the hilt
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As I promised doom
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I toyed with their fears, until coins and tears filled the room
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Then I took off down the road
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Laughing madly like a toad
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God bless every soulless soul
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That would be saved.
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And all the high-born ladies
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So lovely and so true,
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Have been handed to the soldiers
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When in Rome do as the Romans do.
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A chorus of children were passing the hours
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I joined in their fun and gave them my flowers
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Covered with kisses and showered with showers
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That they repaid.
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Taken and trusting, would I be their teacher?
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She looked so appealing, I wanted to touch her
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Just out of reach, unable to reach her
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Their hands were raised.
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Charmed by the chalk, the lessons were taught, inside the class
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They studied the rules of the samurai schools, they had to pass
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The room was adjourned, the lessons were learned,
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I turned on the gas
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And I watched them make their pleas
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They passed the test with ease
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I gave them their degrees,
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They made the grade.
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And all the high-born ladies
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So lovely and so true,
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Have been handed to the soldiers
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When in Rome do as the Romans do.
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Feeling my weakness, a coward for company
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I joined the ranks of the hot and hungry
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To teach what it means to have love for your country
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We marched away.
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We lowered our lives for the lines of a border
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We danced with the mothers, played with the daughters
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We followed our fantasies, following orders
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It was child's play.
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After the war the bullets were bored so we capped the game
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With cynical smiles we put them on trial to place the blame
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Now what kind of beast would love such a feast
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Have you no shame?
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So we hung the by the feet
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Oh, we shot them in the street
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Oh, the victory was sweet
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On victory day.
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And all the high-born ladies
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So lovely and so true,
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Have been handed to the soldiers
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When in Rome do as the Romans do.
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The bread and the circuses came to be nearing
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The Saviour or somebody must be appearing
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Pagans and pageants were all disappearing
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Inside my head.
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The stones on the statues were staring and stalling
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Caesar and Cassius were cursing and calling
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The empire had risen and now it was falling
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Or so it seemed.
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The crown and the cross seemed empty and lost in dark despair
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And luminous lies, death in disguise were everywhere
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The canvas was cold, the story was old, I said my prayers
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Then I crowned him on the head
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Oh, I blessed him as he bled
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Oh At last, the king is dead
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God save the queen.
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And all the high-born ladies
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So lovely and so true,
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Have been handed to the soldiers
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When in Rome do as the Romans do.
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Now nothing remained for building or burning
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The losing of lovers was all I was learning
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A time for escape and a time for returning had come to me
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Back through the ashes and back through the embers
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Back through the roads and the ruins I remembered
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My hands at my side I sadly surrendered
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Do as you please.
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The hero was home, proven and grown, I fell on the floor
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Mad with romance they started to dance, their star was born
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I bled like the rain, exploded in pain, then I screamed for more
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Oh, make me feel sublime
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Release me from my mind
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Oh, Kill me one more time
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And set me free.
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And all the high-born ladies
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So lovely and so true,
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Have been handed to the soldiers
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When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Phil Ochs - Changes
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