House Un-American Blues Activity Dream - Mimi & Richard Fariña

I was standing on the sidewalk, had a noise in my head

There were loudspeakers babbling, but nothing was said

There were twenty-seven companies of female Marines

There were presidential candidates in new Levi jeans

It was the red, white and blue planning how to endure

The fife, drum and bugle marching down on the poor

God bless America, without any doubt

And I figured it was time to get out

Well, I have to b’lieve that in-between scenes, good people

Went and got 'em done in the sun, good people

Tourist information said to get on the stick

You ain’t moving 'til you’re grooving with a Cubana chick

So I hopped on a plane, I took a pill for my brain

And I discovered I was feeling all right

When I strolled down the Prado, people looked at me weird

Who’s that hippy, hoppy character without any beard?

Drinking juice from papayas, singing songs to the trees

Dancing mambo on the beaches, spreading social disease

Now the Castro convertible was changing the style

A whole lot of action on a blockaded isle

When along come a summons in the middle of night

Saying, «Buddy, we’re about to indict»

When I went up on the stand with my hand, good people

You’ve got to tell the truth in the booth, good people

Started out with information kind of remote

When a patriotic mother dragged me down by the throat

«When they ask you a question, they expect a reply!»

Doesn’t matter if you’re fixin' to die

Well, I was lying there unconscious, feeling kind of exempt

When the judge said that silence was a sign of contempt

He took out his gavel, banged me hard on the head

He fined me ten years in prison and a whole lot of bread

It was the red, white and blue making war on the poor

Blind mother Justice on a pile of manure

Say your prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance every night

And tomorrow you’ll be feeling all right

Uh-huh-huh