When First Unto This Country Lyrics - Phil Ochs

When first unto this country a stanger I came, 

I fought the revolution, peace and quiet was my aim. 

When the indians attacked us, at least that's what I'm told, 

So we threw them off their land with no thought of greed or gold. 

Then our ships were being boarded, other countries took our men, 

Napoleon was too powerful, the british lost again. 

And then hopelessly outnumbered, we fought our level best, 

And we borrowed from old mexico the american south west. 

And when that war was over there was no one left to fight 

So we turned and fought each other--to the historians' delight 

Then for thirty years we rested, and tried to ease the pain, 

Until the cuban sugar crop we gladly freed from spain. 

Then europe started feudin', there were profits by the score, 

So the ammunition makers fought the war to end all war, 

But old hitler started marchin', he practiced over in spain, 

The depression was defeated, the world was safe again.