"Pride of Man" is a 1964 song by
Hamilton Camp
Hamilton Camp (born Robin S. Camp; 30 October 1934 – 2 October 2005) was a British-born actor and singer, who relocated to the United States with his family when he was a young child. He is known for his work as a folk singer during the 1960s ...
. It is Camp's best-known composition.
[
Rife with apocalyptic imagery and religious language ("Can't you see that flash of fire / Ten times brighter than the day... Shout a warning to the nations that the sword of God is raised / On Babylon that mighty city, rich in treasure, wide in fame... Oh God, the pride of man, broken in the dust again"), the song was written shortly after Camp's initiation into the ]Subud
Subud (pronounced ) is an international, interfaith spirituality, spiritual movement that began in Indonesia in the 1920s, founded by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo (1901–1987). The basis of Subud is a spiritual exercise called the Latihan ...
spiritual movement.[
"Pride of Man" debuted on Camp's 1964 album ''Paths of Victory'', but achieved more notice when covered by ]Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success and helped define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Widely considered one of Canada's greatest songwriters, ...
on his 1966 debut album ''Lightfoot!
''Lightfoot!'' is the debut album by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Although it was recorded in December 1964, the album was not released until January 1966 on the United Artists label.
At the 2017 Polaris Music Prize, the album ...
''.[ "Pride of Man" was the opening track on ]Quicksilver Messenger Service
Quicksilver Messenger Service is an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. The band achieved wide popularity in the San Francisco Bay Area and, through their recordings, with psychedelic rock enthusiasts around the globe, ...
's eponymous 1968 debut album and was released as a single on the B-side of "Dino's Song";[ '']Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' described this version as having been "carr edoff admirably".[ Quicksilver Messenger Service regularly performed the song in concert.][
]Gram Parsons
Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. He recorded with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Bu ...
' cover was included on the album '' Another Side of This Life: The Lost Recordings of Gram Parsons'',[ released in 2000 but recorded in 1965 and 1966. The song has been covered by other musicians, such as ]Tony Rice
David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020) was an American bluegrass guitarist and singer. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz. He was inducted into the In ...
on '' Church Street Blues''[ (1983), ]Ted Quinn
Teddy "Ted" Quinn (born November 12, 1958, in La Porte, Indiana) is an American musician, record producer, radio personality and actor. As Teddy Quinn, he was a child actor who appeared in many commercials, films, and television shows of the 1 ...
on ''Help Wanted'',[ and ]Punch Brothers
Punch Brothers is an American band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), Brittany Haas (fiddle/violin), Noam Pikelny (banjo), Chris Eldridge (guitar), and Paul Kowert (bass). Their style has been described as "bluegrass instrumentation and spo ...
on ''Hell on Church Street''.[
]
References
{{reflist, refs=
[{{cite web , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-oct-05-me-camp5-story.html , title=Hamilton Camp, 70; Folk Singer, Comic and TV and Movie Actor , author=Valerie J. Nelson , date=October 5, 2005 , work=Los Angeles Times , access-date=April 5, 2017]
[{{cite web , url=http://www.jmeshel.com/156-hamilton-camp-pride-of-man/ , title=Song of the Week and Other Stuff – 146: Hamilton Camp, 'Pride of Man' , author=Jeff Meshel , date=September 14, 2012 , work=Jeff Meshel's World , accessdate=April 5, 2017]{{Better source needed , reason=Just some random person's blog, basically , date=April 2017
[{{cite web , url=http://ralstoncreekreview.com/song-of-the-week-pride-of-man/ , title=Song of the Week – Pride of Man , author=Louis Weltzer , date=September 19, 2015 , work=Ralston Creek Review , accessdate=April 5, 2017]{{Better source needed , reason=Just some random person's blog, basically , date=April 2017
[{{cite magazine , url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/quicksilver-messenger-service-19680706 , title=Quicksilver Messenger Service: Quicksilver Messenger Service , author= Barry Gifford , date=July 6, 1968 , magazine=Rolling Stone , accessdate=April 5, 2017]
[{{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Quicksilver-Messenger-Service-Quicksilver-Messenger-Service/release/3020865 , title= Quicksilver Messenger Service – Quicksilver Messenger Service , work=Discogs , year= 1968 , accessdate=April 5, 2017]
[{{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Forever-Changing-The-Golden-Age-Of-Elektra-Records-1963-1973/release/2268415 , title= Various – Forever Changing — The Golden Age Of Elektra Records - 1963-1973 , work=Discogs , accessdate=April 5, 2017]
[{{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Quicksilver-Messenger-Service-Dinos-Song-Pride-Of-Man/master/804936 , title= Quicksilver Messenger Service – Dino's Song / Pride Of Man , work=Discogs , year= 1967 , accessdate=April 5, 2017]
[{{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Gordon-Lightfoot-Lightfoot/release/4675883 , title= Gordon Lightfoot – Lightfoot! , work=Discogs , year= 1968 , accessdate=April 5, 2017]
[{{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Gram-Parsons-Another-Side-Of-This-Life/release/1327525 , title=Gram Parsons – Another Side Of This Life , work=Discogs , accessdate=April 5, 2017]
[{{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Tony-Rice-Church-Street-Blues/release/3653000 , title= Tony Rice – Church Street Blues , work=Discogs , year= 1983 , accessdate=April 5, 2017]
[{{cite web , url=https://teddyquinn.bandcamp.com/album/help-wanted , title=help wanted by Teddy Quinn , work=Ted Quinn website , accessdate=April 5, 2017]
[{{cite web , url=https://bluegrasstoday.com/pride-of-man-video-from-punch-brothers/ , title=Pride of Man video from Punch Brothers , work=Bluegrass Today , accessdate=July 8, 2023]
1964 songs
Gordon Lightfoot songs
Songs about nuclear war and weapons