United Fruit Lyrics - Phil Ochs

And the fruit boats ride on the waves, 

And the crew will dream of returning 

Back to the florida waters, 

For the work of unloading onto the trains. 

And the ships will dance by the shore, 

With fruit from venezuela, brazil and costa rica, 

But the fruit from the island of cuba 

Is carried no more. 

And on the decks it will lay, 

Picked by the hands of the peons 

At the lowest possible wages, 

While the profits are made by the strangers 

From far away. 

Now some will pick the fruit of the vine 

While others will go to the mountain 

And eat the fruit of the hillside 

And learn the way of the rifle, 

Wait for the time. 

Allianza dollars are spent 

To raise the towering buildings 

For the weary bones of the workers 

So they will be strong in the morning 

To go back again. 

Oh the companies keep a sharp eye 

And pay their respects to the army 

To watch for the hot-blooded leaders 

And be prepared for the junta to 

Crush them like flies. 

So heavy the price that they pay 

As daily the fruit it is stolen 

Over the blue carribean 

But the lengthening shadow of cuba 

Will hinder the way. 

(repeat 1st verse)