I find Phil Ochs to be very underrated. In my time listening and looking up information on Bob Dylan and other folk artists and protest songs of the time, I had not once come across Phil Ochs. The first time heard of Mr. Ochs was in Stephen King's novella/collection of 3 short stories 'Heart's in Atlantis'. The constant playing of Phil Ochs' "I Ain't Marching Anymore" by the characters in the story made me think I should give Mr. Ochs a try. I'm glad I did.
''Draft Dodger Rag" (Ochs 1965) is a satirical take on the extremes men would go to in order to avoid being drafted in the Vietnam war(-- literally 'dodging the draft- 'draft dodgers'):
Sarge, I'm only 18, I got a ruptured spleen,
and I always carry a purse.
I got eyes like a bat, and my feet are flat
and my asthma's getting worse.
Yes, think of my career, my sweetheart dear,
and my poor old invalid aunt.
Besides, I ain't no fool, I'm a-goin' to school,
and a-working in a defense plant.
Tens of thousands of men, with good reason, attempted to avoid the war using all types of reasoning, from allergies to homosexuality.
I've got a dislocated disc and a wracked up back
I'm allergic to flowers and bugs.
And when the bombshell hits, I get epileptic fits
And I'm addicted to a thousand drugs.
I got the weakness woes, I can't touch my toes
I can hardly reach my knees
And if the enemy came close to me
I'd probably start to sneeze.
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