Talking Cuban Crisis Lyrics - Phil Ochs

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 hanging, a wave 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. Khruschev said, "Better Red than dead"