The Party Songtext
von Phil Ochs

Peace, peace, you know
I′d like to do a song about festivals and all the things that go on
It's called "The Party"

The fire-breathing rebels arrive at the party early
Their khaki coats are hung in the closet near the fur
Asking handouts from the ladies while they criticize the lords
Boasting of the murder of the very hands that pour
And the victims learn to giggle, but at least they are not bored
And my shoulders had to shrug as I crawled beneath the rug
And retuned my piano

The hostess is enormous, she fills the room with perfume
She meets the guests and smothers them with greetings
And she asks, "How are you?" and she offers them a drink
The countess of the social grace who never seems to blink
And she promises to talk to you if you promise not to think
And my shoulders had to shrug as I crawled beneath the rug
And retuned my piano


The beauty of the hour is blazing in the presence
She surrounds herself with those who would surrender
Floating in her flattery, she′s a trophy prize caress
Protected by a pretty face, sometimes cursed, sometimes blessed
And she's staring down their desires
While they're staring down her dress
And my shoulders had to shrug as I crawled beneath the rug
And retuned my piano

The egos shine like light bulbs, so bright you cannot see them
Blind each other, blinder than a sandbox
Oh, the fury of an argument, holding back their yawns
A challenge shakes the chandelier, the selfish swords are drawn
To the loser go the hang-ups, to the victor go the hangers-on
And my shoulders had to shrug as I crawled beneath the rug
And retuned my piano

They travel to the table the hostess served for supper
And they pass each other down the salt and pepper
And the conversation sparkles as their wits are dipped in wine
Dinosaurs on a diet, on each other they will dine
Then they pick their teeth and they squelch a belch saying
"Darling, you tasted divine"
And my shoulders had to shrug as I crawled beneath the rug
And retuned my piano


The wallflower is waiting, she hides behind composure, composure
She′d love to dance and prays that no one asks her
Then she steals a glance at lovers while her fingers tease her hair
And she marvels at the confidence of those who hide their fears
Then her eyes are closed as she rides away with a foreign legionnaire
And my shoulders had to shrug as I crawled beneath the rug
And retuned my piano

Romeo is reeling, counting notches on his thighbone
Searching for one hundred and eleven
And then he comes to the table and he brings a child
As he leads you to his web
Seducing queens and gypsy girls in the boudoir of his head
And he wraps himself with a tablecloth
And pretends he is a bed
And my shoulders had to shrug
As I crawled beneath the rug and retuned my piano

Ah, the party must be over
Even the losers are leaving
But just one doubt is nagging at my caustic mind
So I snuck up close behind me, and I gave myself a kiss
And I led myself to the mirror to expose what I had missed
There I saw a laughing maniac who was writing songs like this
And my shoulders had to shrug
As I crawled beneath the rug and retuned my piano