Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs: Santo Domingo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC2m5NhRang
And the crabs are crazy, they scuttle back and forth, The sand is burning And the fish take flight and scatter from the sight, Their course is turning As the seagulls rest on the cold cannon nest, The sea is churning The Marines have landed on the shores of Santo Domingo The fishermen sweat, they’re pausing at their nets The day’s a-burning As the warships sway and thunder in the bay Loud in the morning But the boy on the shore is throwing pebbles no more He runs a-warning That the Marines have landed on the shores of Santo Domingo The streets are still, there’s silence in the hills The town is sleeping And the farmers yawn in the grey silver dawn The fields they’re keeping As the first troops land and step into the sand The flags are weeping The Marines have landed on the shores of Santo Domingo The unsmiling sun is shining down upon The singing soldiers In the cloud dust whirl they whistle at the girls They’re getting bolder Ah, the old women sigh, think of memories gone by They shrug their shoulders The Marines have landed on the shores of Santo Domingo Ready for the tricks, their bayonets are fixed Now they are rolling And the tanks make tracks past the trembling shacks Where fear is unfolding All the young wives afraid, turn their backs to the parade With babes they’re holding The Marines have landed on the shores of Santo Domingo A bullet cracks the sound, the army hit the ground The sniper’s calling So they open their guns, a thousand to one No sense in stalling He clutches at his head and totters on the edge Look now, he’s falling The Marines have landed on the shores of Santo Domingo In the red plaza square, the crowds come to stare The heat is leaning And the eyes of the dead are turning every head To the widow’s screaming But the soldiers make a bid, giving candy to the kids Their teeth are gleaming The Marines have landed on the shores of Santo Domingo Up and down the coast, the generals drink a toast The wheel is spinning And the cowards and the whores are peeking through the doors To see who’s winning But the traitors will pretend that it’s getting near the end When it’s beginning The Marines have landed on the shores of Santo Domingo