Talking Birmingham Jam Songtext
von Phil Ochs

Walkin' down to Birmingham
Way down south in Dixieland
I thought that I would stop awhile
Take a vacation Southern style
Got some Southern hospitality
Down there in a Southern hospital

Well, all the signs said, "Welcome in, son"
But governor Wallace and Rin Tin Tin
They said, "Come along and watch the fights
While we feed our dogs on civil rights"
Now, don't get us wrong
Some of our best Negroes are friends

Well, I've seen travel in many ways
I've traveled in cars and old subways
But in Birmingham some people chose
To fly down the street from a fire hose
Doin' some hard travelin'
From hydrants of plenty


Well, a pack of dogs was standin' by
I walked up to them and I said, "Hi"
Well, I asked one dog what they all were doin'
He walked up to me and started chewin'
I said, "Hold it, I'm from the ASPCA"
Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Agitators

And I said there must be some men around
There can't be only you dogs in town
They said, "Sure we have old Bull Conner
There he goes, walkin' yonder
Throwin' some raw meat to the mayor
Feedin' bones to the City Council"

You know, governor Wallace doesn't mean no harm
Can't you see? He's got lot of charm
He's protecting us, whites, both the rich and poor
Standin' in the schoolhouse door
Crackin' jokes
Talkin' to Huntley-Brinkley
Serving jury duty
Gettin' reelected


So, I asked em' why they spend their time
With segregation on their mind
They said, "If you don't like to live this way
Get outta here, go back to the U.S.A
Live with all them Russians
New York folk singers"

Some say they've passed their darkest hour
Those moderates are back in power
Oh, listen close with open ears
They'll help us out in a couple a hundred years
But don't push 'em, whatever you do
Or else you get those extremists back in

You see Alabama is a sovereign state
With sovereign dogs and sovereign hate
They stand for the Bible, for the Constitution
They stand against Communist revolution
They say, "It's pinkos like you that freed the slaves"
And they're right