Talking Cuban Crisis (Phil Ochs)

Talking Cuban Crisis
Author	Phil Ochs
First published	1964
Type	Song

Lyrics

It was just a little while ago I glued my ears to the radio

The announcer was sayin' we'd better beware

A crisis was hangin' way up in the air

Crawlin' on the ground

Swimmin' in the sea

Headin' for me

Well, I didn't know if I was for or agin' it

He was yellin' and screamin' a mile a minute

Well, he said "Here comes the President

But first this word from Pepsodent

Have whiter teeth

Have cleaner breath

When you're facin' nuclear death"

And then President John began to speak

And I knew right away he wouldn't be weak

Well, he said he'd seen some missile bases

And terrible smiles on Cuban faces

Close pictures

Carryin' land reform too far

Giving land to the USSR

Well, he said we mustn't be afraid

We're settin' up a little blockade

Put our ships along the Cuban shores

And if the Russian bear yells and roars

We'll let him have it

From Turkey and Greece, Formosa and Spain

The peaceful West European plain

From Alaska and Greenland we'll use our means

And twenty thousand submarines

We're gonna teach the Russians a lesson

For trying to upset the balance of power

Now most Americans stood behind

The President and his military minds

But me, I stood behind a bar

Dreamin' of a spaceship getaway car

Head for Mars

Any other planet that has bars

Like Gerde's Folk City

Yes, it seemed the stand was strong and plain

But some Republicans was a-goin' insane

And they still are

Well, they said our plan was just too mild

Spare the rod and spoil the child

Let's sink Cuba into the sea

And give 'em back democracy

Under the water

Well, the deadline was set for ten o'clock

For a cold war it was a-gettin' hot

Well, the Russians tried, the Russians failed

Homeward bound those missiles sailed

Mr. Khrushchev said, "Better red than dead."